A woman who was fired by her employer when she informed about her pregnancy after returning from maternity leave has been awarded a compensation of 28,706 pounds by an employment tribunal in the UK, Metro reported.
The woman said she informed her boss that she was expecting another child which left him off guard. Her maternity leave ended in March 2022, but her company didn't reach out to discuss her return. She said she emailed her boss on April 4 about holiday entitlement, but he didn't respond. She then followed up on April 11 and 18.
Boss Said Company Was Having Financial Struggles
Later, her boss called her to say she was being made redundant due to financial struggles and delays in some payments to the business. He later claimed new software was being installed which meant her role ‘would no longer exist’.
Judge Robin Harvard noted that the employer had made no mention of financial difficulties or redundancy at a meeting held in February. In fact, the judge said, the employer had said the business was doing well.
The judge took into account the manager's "change of attitude" after learning of the pregnancy, the Metro reported.
The court ruled the dismissal was unfair and discriminatory. It said this must have caused the woman "real anxiety and distress over a period of time, having been dismissed when pregnant and losing her sense of financial security with all the family responsibilities that she had.
Judge Havard ordered the firm, First Grade, and manager to pay compensation totalling 28,706 euros to the woman.