£15,000 pregnancy pay out

A restaurant manager has won more than £15,000 after she was dismissed following her pregnancy announcement. The employee stated that she was ‘ostracised’ after telling the General Manager she was expecting and was deliberately given fewer shifts at her workplace after experiencing sickness. She was offered noticeably fewer shifts over a period of months. Eventually she sought answers and was told by HR that”she had been ‘P45’d’ in a way which suggested any conversation about maternity rights had been superseded.

The General Manager sent her a message saying, ‘no hard feelings’ and didn’t message her again until the birth of her child, to offer congratulations.

The Employment Judge stated, “There were no other apparent factors in her relationship with the General Manager which was friendly and supportive until the end, or any issues with her performance or conduct which suggested another reason for her being dismissed in the way that she was. The unexpected decision to dismiss her caused her a degree of stress at a time when she was already experiencing illness and other symptoms connected to her pregnancy.’’

The claimant’s employment tribunal was successful for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal and she was awarded £15,365.

If you have any concerns about the subject of pregnancy in the workplace contact us at enquiries@121hrsolutions.co.uk.