A human resources worker has been awarded £19,000 in a discrimination case after bosses brought “trumped-up charges” to dismiss her because she was pregnant.
Lorraine Powell took One Transport UK, formerly The Green Charging Company, to an employment tribunal, claiming she was treated unfavourably and dismissed because she was pregnant.
The transport company was “looking for excuses to criticise” the pregnant worker, whom they “treated differently” from her colleagues, the tribunal heard.
After telling her employer she was expecting a baby, Ms Powell was told she was going to be dismissed because of a “downturn in business”, before being offered a job with fewer hours and lower pay, the tribunal heard.
But an employment judge found there was “no evidence of a financial downturn”, noting that at least one other employee had been given a pay rise.
Sacking the worker shortly after finding out she was pregnant was “more than a coincidence”, Judge Catherine Rayner ruled.
After returning on lower hours and lower pay, Ms Powell was told she would have to work from the office every day, unlike her colleagues who were allowed to spend days working from home, the tribunal was told.
The discrimination made her pregnancy a “stressful and difficult time”, and caused problems with her mental health, the tribunal heard.
Her claims of discrimination on grounds of pregnancy and automatic unfair dismissal succeeded.
Ms Powell was working for the company when she found out she was pregnant in October 2022, and told her employer the following month, a Southampton employment tribunal was told.
Ms Powell, who represented herself at the hearing, hoped to take nine months maternity leave and then return to work, the tribunal heard.
She also planned to help colleagues cover her in her absence.
The tribunal heard Ms Powell was called in for a probationary review in December.
During the meeting, Ms Powell was told she was to be dismissed because of the company’s financial struggles, before being offered a job with fewer hours and lower pay, the tribunal heard.
“Prior to that meeting no suggestion had been made to her or to anyone else as far as she was aware, that there was a redundancy situation or indeed any particular financial difficulties within the company,” the tribunal said.
“Following Ms Powell’s dismissal, at least one other employee was given a pay rise… (and) the company continued to recruit in other areas.”
“We find that there is no evidence of a financial downturn,” the tribunal said.
“The real reason why she was called into the meeting and told that she was to be demoted and that her hours were to be reduced was because the company knew she was pregnant.
“We find that it is more than a coincidence that the unfavourable treatment occurred shortly after Ms Powell had told her managers that she was pregnant.”
The tribunal also concluded that having returned to work on lower hours and lower pay, she was “treated differently to other employees” by being made to work entirely from the office.
“Her colleague was doing the same hours as her but was allowed to work from home,” the tribunal concluded, adding: “We have no explanation from the company as to why it was necessary for Ms Powell to work solely in the office.”
She went off sick in January 2023 because of the “stress of bullying” and being “unable to get into the office or reach the bathroom in the office as a result of being pregnant”, the tribunal was told.
At about the same time, allegations were put to her by managers about her conduct, but the tribunal concluded bosses were simply “looking for excuses to criticise” her.
“Ms Powell had provided the respondent with explanations and had raised issues of bullying with them.
“Their response was to invite her to a disciplinary hearing on what we find were exaggerated and trumped-up charges,” the tribunal concluded.
Ms Powell was awarded £19,600 as compensation for her pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal, including £17,000 for injury to feelings.
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