£23,832 award: 4 UK dyslexia tribunal rulings, 6 questions

One hostile reply cost the Cabinet Office £23,832.33, a Newcastle tribunal ruled on 26 February 2026 (GOV.UK judgment, February 2026). A worker had raised his ADHD and dyslexia, and the reply called it unprofessional. If you keep your dyslexia quiet at work because you fear that reply, this one is for you.

I read four UK tribunal rulings from 2026 that involve dyslexia. They answer six questions people type into Google. This is UK law only, and there's a short US note near the end.

1. Can my manager tell me off for mentioning my dyslexia?

In the UK, a hostile reply can count as harassment. On 11 February 2025, a worker at the Cabinet Office spoke about his ADHD and dyslexia (GOV.UK judgment, February 2026).

The reply from Ms McLoughlin was hostile. She called what he said "unprofessional/disruptive" and threatened "alternate arrangements" (Lankovits v Cabinet Office, February 2026).

The tribunal said this was harassment linked to his condition. It awarded £22,000 for hurt feelings, plus £1,832.33 in interest (GOV.UK judgment, February 2026).

A second claim won too. It was about being treated badly for a reason tied to his condition. He lost the rest, including a claim about adjustments.

The judge gave reasons out loud at the hearing. So the full reasons are not online, and we only know the result.

If a manager shuts you down for naming your dyslexia, write it down that day. Note the date, the words and who heard it.

2. Does it count if I only told my manager out loud?

It may not. In Taylor v P3 Charity, a service manager said she told her first manager in February 2023. The judge found she did not, partly because his handover notes never mentioned it (written reasons, April 2026).

The judge set the date the charity knew as 4 July 2023 (written reasons, April 2026). That was the day she raised it in a meeting. The duty to make adjustments could not start before then.

She also said a manager swore at her spelling. The judge found it was not said. One reason was that her long written grievance never mentioned it.

The disclosure guide tool helps if you're unsure what to say. It walks you through timing and wording in a few minutes.

Tell your manager by email, even if you've said it in person. Then nobody can argue about the date later.

3. Does a grievance stop the employment tribunal clock?

No. ACAS says going through a grievance "does not change your time limit" (ACAS, updated October 2026). A Welsh Water case shows what that costs.

Mr Heygate-Browne complained about two events in May 2024. He says an outside trainer called dyslexic people "diseased".

He also says a manager spoke in a mocking tone at a team meeting. The manager said to talk to dyslexic people slowly, in short sentences (reserved judgment, March 2026).

He used the grievance process first and went to ACAS on 31 March 2025 (reserved judgment, March 2026). His grievance letter even named the three-month limit.

The judge ruled the May complaints were too late and would not extend time. So no one ever tested if the comments were made.

The Taylor case had the same problem.

The judge said her adjustments deadline was 17 October 2023. She contacted ACAS on 5 November 2023 (written reasons, April 2026). That is 19 days late.

The rule has now changed. For problems on or after 1 October 2026, most claims have six months minus one day (ACAS, updated October 2026). Before that date it was three months minus one day, and contacting ACAS in time pauses the clock.

Start ACAS early conciliation while your grievance runs, and don't wait for the grievance result.

4. Can a job application score be unfair to a dyslexic applicant?

Maybe, and one claim is going to a full hearing. Welsh Water had a scheme that gave disabled people an interview if they met a bar. The bar was 60% on a written form, and Mr Heygate-Browne scored 53% (reserved judgment, March 2026).

He says the written form put him at a disadvantage because of his dyslexia. He says he should have been allowed to send a video clip. He accepts he did not ask for that at the time.

The judge still let this claim go ahead, even though it was late too. The judge said the point could be about showing the same standard in a different way. The full hearing will decide if he's right.

Asking is easier with a draft in front of you. The reasonable adjustments builder turns your problem into a short email you can send before you apply.

If a written form is the gate to an interview, ask for another format in writing before the deadline.

5. Is a speed target unfair if dyslexia slows me down?

It depends on what happens when you miss it, a London tribunal ruled.

Ifrah Ali worked for London Ambulance Service from June 2022. An agency, Hays, placed her there. In July 2024, new role cards set a target of three patients an hour (reserved judgment, July 2026).

On 3 July 2024 she emailed a manager about her dyslexia (reserved judgment, July 2026). She said it made notes on calls harder. She asked if the target could be eased.

Both sides agreed that email asked for an adjustment.

The service admitted nothing moved until January 2025 (reserved judgment, July 2026). But it never held her to the target, and her work was never reviewed against it. So her adjustments claim failed, and so did all her other claims.

If a new target worries you, ask in writing whether it will be used against you, and keep the reply.

6. What happens if I can't attend my tribunal hearing?

The tribunal can go ahead without you. In Taylor v P3 Charity, the worker wrote that a new job and money worries meant she could not attend. She asked the judge to decide from her papers (written reasons, April 2026).

The judge went ahead but gave her evidence "very little weight". Her own statement ran to 4 pages, and the charity filed six witness statements (written reasons, April 2026). Her manager came and gave evidence in person.

Every claim failed. That includes her claim that a manager swore at her spelling.

If you can't make a hearing date, ask the tribunal for help early, in writing, and give your reason.

The call: put it in writing this week

Here's my call if you hide your dyslexia at work. Send one short email this week. Say you're dyslexic, name one task it affects, and ask for one change.

That email sets the date your employer knew. In the Taylor case, that date decided when the duty to make adjustments began. If you're still deciding who to tell, the disclosure decision guide covers who and when.

A 4-line email you can copy

Keep it short. Each line does one job.

• Line 1: "I'm dyslexic, and I want you to know so we can sort out a few things."
• Line 2: name one task, such as long reports or notes during calls.
• Line 3: name one change, such as more time or a voice note in place of a form.
• Line 4: "Could you reply by Friday so I know what happens next?"

Keep a copy where your work rules allow, or print it. If your job ends, you may lose your work inbox.

Then put your deadline in your calendar. For problems from 1 October 2026, you have six months minus one day to contact ACAS (ACAS, updated October 2026). Don't let a grievance use up that time.

One email and one calendar date protect you more than any comeback in the meeting.

If you work in the US

None of these UK rules apply to you. You generally have 180 calendar days to file an EEOC charge (EEOC, checked November 2026). That becomes 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a similar law.

The EEOC says time limits generally won't be extended while you try another route. So an internal complaint does not pause your clock.

Look up your state's agency today, so you know if your limit is 180 or 300 days.