Pregnant woman “labelled” emotional at work, wins tribunal claim

Background

An employment tribunal heard from Nicola Hinds in February brought claims of discrimination on the basis of her pregnancy. Nicola said that she had enjoyed a good career at the security company until she shared the news of her pregnancy in April 2020. The tribunal heard that attitudes towards her shifted after disclosing her condition and she was heavily encouraged to move to a more administrative role due to her change in circumstances. Nicola was a senior regional manager but over the coming months, she saw her workload and hours increase substantially. Attempts to raise her concerns with her line managers were wholly ignored and she suffered severe panic attacks as a result.

During the Tribunal

An email was presented to the Employment Tribunal that showed Nicolas's line manager, Nav Kelly, to be stereotyping Nicola as an emotional and hormonal pregnant woman. The Employment Judge ruled that these inferences were unreasonable and inappropriate. Nicola was experiencing significant work-related stress and made a legitimate and valid complaint to her line manager. The assumption that she was simply hormonal was wholly discriminatory and unfair.

The Employment Tribunal eventually ruled in Nicolas's favour and accepted her claims for constructive unfair dismissal and discrimination. Compensation will be considered at a later hearing (unless settled between the parties beforehand).

Commentary

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that Nicolas's case is not unique. There are countless women across the UK who experience the same type of treatment due to their pregnancy and we see several of these cases often. 

However, just because it happens doesn’t make it right. 

If you or a family member can resonate with Nicolas's story and need help to take action against your employer, then get in touch with us today. Here at Magara Law, we recognise that employment tribunals can be arduous and lengthy but there are ways to get you the outcome you deserve our recognition before having to choose that option. If for whatever reason we have to pursue an Employment Tribunal claim, you can rest assured that you’ll have an Employment Solicitor by your side throughout the process.

Call the specialist employment lawyer  

Magara law is an employment law firm in Bicester, Banbury and Paddington, London, and services clients nationwide. For more information or to speak with Roy Magara, a specialist employment lawyer at Magara Law, call 01869 325 883 or email roy@magaralaw.co.uk