IBM found guilty of job discrimination

SHANGHAI: A labor arbitrator here has ordered global computer giant IBM to pay 57,000 yuan ($8,300) in compensation to an employee who was fired earlier this year, after being diagnosed as suffering from depression.

The labor dispute arbitration committee of Pudong New Area on Wednesday also ordered the US firm to reactivate its five-year labor contract with Yuan Yipeng, who in January attempted suicide due to his mental state.

While the case is the first involving job discrimination on the grounds of mental illness, it comes amid growing calls for better protection in the workplace for those with physical disabilities.