Employers should be more aware of brain injury behaviours, charity says
Employers should be more aware of brain injury behaviours at work, a charity has urged.
Headway Gloucestershire says a lack of awareness of brain injury symptoms makes it more likely that people living with the condition will face unstable employment.
The charity’s call follows the case of Nick Atherton, 33, from Cheltenham, who has lost several jobs since a catastrophic brain injury in a car crash 10 years ago.
The incident left him with a lack of inhibition, a classic symptom of head injury.
Nick, who works in hospitality, said: “A habit of mine has always been to look away from all outward distractions, so I can think clearly of a response to your question, and I look upwards to think.
“And that can be seen to be rolling my eyes, but I don’t intend it that way. I am rolling my eyes at my own brain’s inflexibility.”
He added: “I say what comes into my head, because I want to say it before I forget it. And then I go ‘agh-I shouldn’t have said that’. But once it’s out, it’s a bit too late.”
Nick was driving home after a late shift when he was involved in the crash.
Despite loving front-of-house work, and having been praised in his last job, complaints were made after he asked colleagues who were in a relationship if they were “cuddle buddies”, and by a younger colleague after he “jokingly” said “good girl” when she helped him.
“I am aware, in retrospect, the manner in which that can be taken, and it wasn’t appropriate,” he said.
When Nick appealed against losing his job, his employer admitted not following correct disciplinary procedures, but stood by the decision to dismiss him.
Nick said he informs employers of his injury at interviews, but “then people fail to work around or inform their staff of my limitations”.
According to Headway, there were approximately 919 acquired brain injury UK hospital admissions per day in 2023-24, equating to one every 90 seconds.
There were 123,969 UK hospital admissions for head injury in 2023-24, equating to one every four minutes.
Males were 1.5 times more likely than females to be admitted to a UK hospital for a head injury in that period.
Headway Gloucestershire believes employers of people with brain injuries should make colleagues aware that the condition may cause the person to say inappropriate things.
Julie Reader-Sullivan, chief executive of the charity, said: “Employers are responsible for all employees. So it needs to be fair. It’s not about saying, ‘forgive that person because they are saying something inappropriate’.”
“It is about saying if this happens, this is what you should or shouldn’t do.”
She added: “People often say they are a different person before and after the brain injury. Some people will say it’s that hidden element of brain injury.”
Headway produces identity cards stating that someone has a brain injury and how it affects them.
Nick hopes speaking out will spread awareness and bring understanding, and he hopes to get another job.
He asked any future employer to “bear with” him as he “means no offence”, adding companies “might see it as giving me a free pass. It’s not a free pass”.
