Pregnant worker ‘forced to quit’ over morning sickness
A worker seen as "unreliable" for missing work with morning sickness has won a pregnancy discrimination case.
Customer services executive Zowie Young was also told to come into work by a courier firm during a Covid outbreak even though her pregnancy put her at increased risk, an employment tribunal heard.
Ms Young had shifts cancelled, was told her absence had “impacted the department” and was asked how long her symptoms were “likely to persist”.
She raised a grievance, saying she was being forced to quit. This and her appeal were rejected.
However, she is in line for compensation after a judge ruled she had been discriminated against because of her pregnancy and her boss’s “inappropriate and distressing” conduct.
The Southampton tribunal heard Ms Young worked 16 hours a week for Shift Group in Plymouth from April 2021 until her maternity leave began in November of that year.
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Employment Judge Kathy Halliday said: “We conclude that the pregnancy-related absence was an inconvenience.”
This was “exacerbated” by Shift Group finding out her contract was not zero-hours and she was previously promised she would work only on opposite shifts to her partner. A compensation hearing is due to take place at a later date.