ACAS Early Conciliation started-unsure if I actually have a case (disability discrimination & unfair dismissal)

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have experienced the same or similar🙏🏾 Long post! Thank you so much in advance!

I worked for the company (huge, well known organisation within the gov) from 2023 until my dismissal on December 2025. Prior to that, my education background and work experiences were completely unrelated- this is my first office/corporate job. And probably my last after this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In October 2024 I started in a new department, and from that point my experience worsened significantly.

- I have documented/assessed neurodivergence issues and diagnosed, medicated mental health conditions

- I had workplace adjustments in place which were later removed without discussion.

- After the adjustments were removed, my health deteriorated and I began experiencing severe panic attacks regularly.

- I was signed off sick from March 2025 onwards with medical certification. My medication was changed and dosage required slow adjustments. It was potent as were the side effects and I was admitted to a&e around June 2025 bc of this.

- During this period I also experienced bereavement. To say I was a fkn mess was an understatement. I emailed to inform I will need some time then they were unable to reach me for two weeks and eventually contacted my next of kin. They later used this period as an example of my “non compliance” in the report they used to dismiss me. Instead of considering that I’m in grief. I informed them immediately about who passed away and when the funeral was but bereavement leave was never discussed nor months later up until I was dismissed.

*Management were informed about all of these I was constantly communicating throughout the sick leave*

- Overall support and guidance from management was minimal and some comments were dismissive or discouraging regarding my health. Management arranged mandatory weekly calls during my sick leave and eventually I voiced that these were counterproductive to my recovery and I insisted to limit communication to emails/texts for my wellbeing. They didn’t like this but eventually had to agree due to my insistence. This was later framed (written and documented also as part of the report of reasons of dismissal) as me being “non compliant”. They also stated, “It’s within her control” referring to my absences and I had a “negative attitude” generally.

Despite ongoing medical evidence and inadequate support to eventually return to work sustainably, I was dismissed for long-term absence on December 2025. I appealed but the dismissal decision was not upheld.

I have now started ACAS Early Conciliation for: disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and unfair dismissal.

ACAS has contacted the company.

My union is currently reviewing whether they will support a tribunal through their legal team (I am completing a form for this).

My concerns are:

1. Do cases like this realistically succeed at tribunal? My union’s legal team said they only accept if they determine it has a high likelihood of succeeding at tribunal- should it come to that.

2. Does removal of adjustments and dismissal during long-term sickness potentially amount to disability discrimination?

3. Is it common for cases like this to settle during ACAS conciliation? I’m terrified lol

4. Is there anything important I should be doing right now while ACAS is ongoing?

5. Also I was told I’d be asked why I didn’t file a grievance and my answer to that is, at no point did that occur to me due to the constant rain of sh*t I was dealing with. Minus the sh*t, is this is an unacceptable answer?

6. What evidence tends to matter most? I have endless fit notes, therapist letter, a few OH reports, PIP award letter, and my GP can probably write a letter too.

7. Based on experience, how do powerful, well known organisations usually respond to ACAS in cases like this (ignore, negotiate, deny and/or reject everything)?

8. IF case settles during ACAS, what range of settlements is realistic in situations like these?

I am seeking resolution for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. My requested outcomes: £50,000 financial settlement (lol ik and I only earn 29k a year… should I say £30,000 instead?) How does this work? I’m seeing this as, I’m essentially calculating my worth??? If I factor in injury to feelings, loss of earnings and future loss of earnings isn’t it incalculable?; positive written reference confirming employment dates; formal acknowledgment and apology for mismanagement and discrimination; and exit terms reflecting resignation due to health and circumstances (instead of being fired on the record). Their treatment caused ongoing distress, worsened my conditions, and led to financial and employment hardship.

I’m honestly feeling very angry I’ve been treated this way, overwhelmed bc I understand this just the beginning, and doubting myself, AND I feel so out of my depth here. I have no one that can help me as my friends and loved ones had never been in this situation. I’m worried about how this might potentially make things worse for myself somehow idk… and if it’s even worth pursuing this… Management’s report for firing me is based on bias. There was no record of any misconduct on my end.

I would tremendously appreciate hearing from anyone with experience of similar cases. Thank you for reading this long post!