‘Medically retired’ IBM IT worker sues firm for not boosting his £54,000 income

A ‘medically retired’ IBM IT employee attempted to sue a tech huge for not elevating his £54,000 income for the 15 many years he was off on unwell leave.

Ian Clifford claimed he was a victim of ‘disability  discrimination’ even with staying specified a certain wage by IBM until eventually he turns 65.

This means he will have pocketed a lot more than £1.5million from the enterprise even though he has not labored because 2008, in accordance to the Mirror.

The senior IT employee argued the profitable IBM wellbeing plan was ‘not generous enough’ since his £54,028 wage will wither in excess of time thanks to inflation. 

An work tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, dismissed his claim and a choose explained to Mr Clifford he had been presented a ‘very considerable benefit’ and ‘favourable treatment’.

He commenced to get the job done for American application organization, Lotus Advancement in 2000, shortly just after it was obtained by IBM in June 1995 for about £3billion. 

Ian Clifford claimed he was a sufferer of ‘disability discrimination’ inspite of getting given a assured salary by IBM until finally he turns 65 which would make it possible for him to pocket much more than £1.5million 

IBM, lesser known as the Global Organization Devices Corporation, is an American multinational technologies corporation centered in New York. They have paid out Mr Clifford’s yearly wage of £54,028 each individual 12 months regardless of him not acquiring worked considering the fact that 2008

Mr Clifford, who studied at King’s College London, went on unwell leave in September 2008 right up until 2013. 

He then elevated a grievance. Beneath this he protested he hadn’t obtained a pay out rise and also complained about getaway fork out for the 5-year interval.

In April, 2013, IBM available a ‘compromise agreement’ which allowed  Mr Clifford to be place on the company’s disability plan which prevents a human being who is unable to work from remaining dismissed. 

Beneath the approach, staff members stay on the payroll and have ‘no obligation’ to get the job done. 

They have a ‘right’, until eventually restoration, retirement or death, to be paid 75 per cent of their agreed earnings.

Mr Clifford’s agreed income was £72,037 leaving him with £54,028 following the deduction. 

The program was preset in area for extra than 30 yrs until he attained the retirement age of 65.

He was also compensated £8,685 to settle his vacation fork out grievances in 2013 and agreed by no means to raise a more grievance about the similar issues. 

In February, 2022, he took the tech large to an work tribunal with new disability promises which were comparable to his prior statements. 

In an try to sue IBM he claimed was addressed ‘unfavourably’ with no income increase due to the fact starting the incapacity strategy. 

He went on to complain that he was offered no vacation entitlement and compared himself to a non-disabled personnel who was presented total fork out on holiday go away. 

Mr Clifford attempted to argue that now inflation was functioning at over 10 for every cent, the benefit of the payments would shortly wither’.

He started to perform for American software package organization, Lotus Progress in 2000, soon after it was procured by IBM in June 1995 for about £3billion

He reported: ‘The level of the plan was to give safety to workforce not in a position to operate – that was not obtained if payments have been for good frozen.’

Work Decide Paul Housego dismissed his circumstance.

Judge Housego stated: ‘The declare is that the absence of enhance in salary is disability discrimination for the reason that it is fewer favourable treatment method than afforded individuals not disabled.

‘This contention is not sustainable simply because only the disabled can benefit from the strategy. It is not disability discrimination that the Strategy is not even a lot more generous.

‘Even if the value of the £50,000 a yr halved above 30 many years, it is still a quite substantial reward.

‘However, this is not the problem for, essentially, the terms of anything specified as a profit to the disabled, and not available to those people not disabled, are not able to be less favourable procedure connected to disability.

‘It is a lot more favourable treatment method, not significantly less.’

A LinkedIn profile for Mr Clifford states he is from the Guildford space, and is ‘medically retired’. 

IBM, lesser regarded as the Intercontinental Business enterprise Equipment Corporation,  is an American multinational technological know-how corporation dependent in New York. 

The tech big, which is nicknamed ‘Big Blue’, is existing in above 175 firms and functions to utilise technological know-how to aid small business needs.