An NRI professional has secured a significant legal victory in London after a prolonged six-year fight, marking an important moment for workplace protections for women living with chronic health conditions. Sanju Pal, a non-resident Indian originally from West Bengal, won her High Court appeal on Monday in a case that is expected to influence how endometriosis-related workplace discrimination is assessed under British law.
Pal, who suffers from endometriosis, challenged her former employer over what she argued was discriminatory and unfair treatment linked to her medical condition. Legal experts say the ruling could set an important precedent under the Equality Act 2010, particularly in recognising endometriosis as a disability in the context of employment rights.
Represented by Kilgannon & Partners, the 41-year-old also contested the legality of the controversial “up or out” progression-based employment model, which allows firms to dismiss employees who fail to achieve promotion within a set timeframe. She argued that this system, when applied rigidly, violates protections under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
In a statement following the ruling, her lawyers confirmed that Pal had succeeded in her appeal against Accenture before the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). The tribunal found serious flaws in how the original Employment Tribunal had assessed her case.
The EAT ruled that the earlier tribunal’s reasoning on whether Pal was disabled due to endometriosis was “wholly inadequate” and could not be allowed to stand. It noted that her account of being affected by the condition was clearly supported by medical evidence. Crucially, the tribunal also found that the lower court had failed to examine whether Pal’s condition would continue to have a substantial adverse impact on her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities if she were not receiving medical treatment. As a result, the issue of disability will now have to be reconsidered from scratch.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that causes severe pelvic pain and is estimated to affect around 1.5 million women in the UK. The EAT concluded that earlier findings—that Pal was not disabled and that she had not suffered discrimination arising from a disability—were unsustainable.
Since Pal succeeded on all grounds of appeal, the case will now be sent back to a newly constituted Employment Tribunal. This step is intended to ensure a fresh and impartial reassessment of the disability issue and related claims.
The case traces back to 2019, when Pal was dismissed from her role as a manager at Accenture UK Ltd. Her dismissal was justified by the company on the grounds of alleged underperformance after she failed to secure promotion to senior manager level under the firm’s progression-based model.
Pal challenged the decision at an Employment Tribunal, which in May 2022 upheld her claim of unfair dismissal but awarded her only £4,275 as a basic compensation amount. The adequacy of that compensation is now also set to be reviewed. The appeal tribunal will examine what might have happened had Accenture followed its own internal policies, including conducting an independent investigation and ensuring independent decision-making before terminating her employment.
The EAT also clarified that dismissal for capability must relate specifically to “the work of the kind which the employee was employed to do,” as defined by the employment contract. This interpretation casts doubt on whether Pal’s dismissal under the progression-based model can genuinely be classified as fair under the legal definition of capability.
The High Court appeal panel, led by Judge James Tayler, further observed that the Employment Tribunal which heard Pal’s case in 2022 appeared to have formed an “extremely adverse view” of her, raising additional concerns about the fairness of the original proceedings.
To sustain the lengthy legal challenge, Pal launched a crowdfunding campaign on CrowdJustice, which helped finance the appeal hearing held on December 9, 2025. Beyond her professional career, Pal is also known for her social work. She is the founder of Rural India Social Enterprise (RISE), an education charity focused on improving access to education in both the UK and rural India, and has been recognised with the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
Reacting to the outcome, Pal said the legal battle had been exhausting but necessary. She expressed relief that the process had finally concluded and said she pursued the case to help ensure unlawful workplace practices are challenged and that employees with chronic health conditions receive appropriate support and legal protection.
Accenture (UK) Ltd, responding to queries following the judgment, said it was unable to comment on the matter, citing the fact that it remains an ongoing legal case.
