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Original poster

Pregnancy discrimination

62 replies

Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:12

Hi everyone I have recently resigned from my job for unfair constructive dismissal. To give the background when 7 weeks into my maternity leave I got a letter asking me to attend disciplinary investigation for something that happened 11months ago they have discovered through me emails. Whilst working for this company they told everyone I was pregnant before I was ready to annouce due to previous miscarriage, alienated and ostracised me daily whilst pregnant. They left me out of work events and meetings and when I was sick in hospital whilst pregnant didn't acknowledge I was off or even contact me, on my return the hospital stay wasn't even mentioned. Does this sound like like a decent case or do I sound like I'm being childish?

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Bombardier25966 · 21/01/2019 12:16

Some of it may be relevant, some is petty. We don't have nearly enough detail to give an informed opinion.

Did you raise a grievance about any of these issues? Was the disciplinary issue a valid one?

Most importantly, are you in a union and what have they said?

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 21/01/2019 12:18

To give the background when 7 weeks into my maternity leave I got a letter asking me to attend disciplinary investigation for something that happened 11months ago they have discovered through me emails.

This is valid.

They left me out of work events and meetings and when I was sick in hospital whilst pregnant didn't acknowledge I was off or even contact me, on my return the hospital stay wasn't even mentioned.

This is largely irelevent - but move this to the Employment Board for correct advice

ZogTheOrangeDragon · 21/01/2019 12:22

To give the background when 7 weeks into my maternity leave I got a letter asking me to attend disciplinary investigation for something that happened 11months ago they have discovered through me emails.

I am guessing your cover has found this or as a result of you being out of the office it has come to light, which is why it has taken 11 months. You can be disciplined and potentially dismissed depending what the issue is and it has nothing to do with pregnancy so you have no protection.

Whilst working for this company they told everyone I was pregnant before I was ready to annouce due to previous miscarriage, alienated and ostracised me daily whilst pregnant. They left me out of work events and meetings and when I was sick in hospital whilst pregnant didn't acknowledge I was off or even contact me, on my return the hospital stay wasn't even mentioned.

This is a totally separate issue. Did you raise a grievance about this at the time?

Pachyderm1 · 21/01/2019 12:27

If the disciplinary issue is something they only just found out about, they may be entitled to raise it. What was it? Is it something you concealed, or something which had consequences?

We don’t really have enough information but it does sound like they have behaved badly. It’s hard to say though whether there are non-pregnancy related factors which have led to things happening this way.

Are you part of a Union? Worth asking them for advice if you are. They will often fund claims like this if they have merit, and at the very least they will advise you.

HelloPeopl3 · 21/01/2019 12:27

It entirely depends on what was in the emails?

Huntawaymama · 21/01/2019 12:29

Tbh it sounds like you're being petty

knittedjest · 21/01/2019 12:31

Do they usually throw welcome back parties when people get out of hospital? It's a busy time of year and you are not the sun.The entire world does not revolve around you. It's a nice thing to do but they don't have to fall over themselves making a fuss because you were in hospital. It's a common cutesy. It's not discriminatory if they don't.

lastqueenofscotland · 21/01/2019 12:33

What was in the emails
That context is vital imo

Butchyrestingface · 21/01/2019 12:35

Hi everyone I have recently resigned from my job for unfair constructive dismissal. To give the background when 7 weeks into my maternity leave I got a letter asking me to attend disciplinary investigation for something that happened 11months ago they have discovered through me emails.

Was this something you had tried to conceal or were hoping wouldn't come to light? Did you know whatever it was you'd done was likely to be perceived as a problem?

They left me out of work events and meetings and when I was sick in hospital whilst pregnant didn't acknowledge I was off or even contact me, on my return the hospital stay wasn't even mentioned.

Are you referring to work events/meetings that took place when you were off sick or at work?

As for them not contacting you when you were off, there are people on this site complaining about it when their work do contact them during sick leave.

Original poster
Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:37

The emails was references I had given to staff members and they are saying I didnt have authority but they were both my line staff and I didn't know I needed approval they don't have a company policy on it.

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LordVoldetort · 21/01/2019 12:39

Depends why they raised it 11 months later. If they just found out because someone had access to your emails after your mat leave started then they have every right to raise it with you.
The hospital stay is pretty irrelevant, I certainly wouldn’t want my boss contacting me whilst i was in hospital.
The only thing you may have a claim for is the leaving you out of meetings whilst pregnant, however, you would need to prove it was because you were pregnant and not something like the contents of the meeting would be irrelevant.
When I was 30 weeks pregnant I didn’t attend a meeting because it was pretty irrelevant because I was about to leave so would this not have been the case for you.

Re the pregnancy announcement before you were ready to tell, was this to everyone or to HR/someone that may need to know for risk assessment? If not, did you raise it at the time?

Original poster
Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:40

These were work events when I was not sick. To give context they all the managers were taken to an awards ceremony except for me I wasn't even asked and only found out there was awards after the event.

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Laiste · 21/01/2019 12:40

The email disciplinary situation is a totally separate issue from the pregnancy discrimination one though. Isn't it? Or are you seeing them as related somehow?

Lazypuppy · 21/01/2019 12:41

@Lindyloo86

The emails was references I had given to staff members and they are saying I didnt have authority but they were both my line staff and I didn't know I needed approval they don't have a company policy on it.

This has nothing to do with your pregnancy

ZogTheOrangeDragon · 21/01/2019 12:42

These were work events when I was not sick. To give context they all the managers were taken to an awards ceremony except for me I wasn't even asked and only found out there was awards after the event.

Are you saying you were not invited because you were pregnant?

Laiste · 21/01/2019 12:42

I think we need a proper timeline.

How long ago was the awards ceremony issue and did you raise a complaint at the time?

Original poster
Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:44

My line manager asked me if I was pregnant I confirmed I was but asked for it to be kept confidential until my scan as I had a previous miscarriage. Then anothe member of staff approached me and said he had heard I was pregnant and it came management. My line manager told the ceo and his deputy who told there partners who also work for the company and they told people there exact words "the stupid cow thinks nobody knows but we all do!" I reported this to the ceo and he said he would investigate but done nothing and as a consequence everyone stopped talking to me.

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Original poster
Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:46

The awards was September and I had baby in November.

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JasperKarat · 21/01/2019 12:48

It's fairly common knowledge you can't give professional references without at least discussing with HR, most companies have a process for issuing references. It's also not related to your pregnancy, they were just unaware until your cover had reason to access your emails.
The other bits, if you were unwell and struggling with a difficult pregnancy they pelt thought you wouldn't be up for after work drinks and social events, the only thing that might be a bit off is the awards ceremony, unless they were invited because they'd been nominated and you hadn't, but I wouldn't say it's grounds for constructive dismissal.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 21/01/2019 12:50

I'm sorry you're going through this, always tough.

I think you're getting the 2 issues muddled up though.

If you've given references when you shouldn't have and they are disciplining you over it then you'll need to deal with that. Fight your cause, show it's not in any HR policy, show it's been done by others and a precedent has been set (whatever is applicable).

But there is no link to that and your pregnancy.

VanGoghsDog · 21/01/2019 12:52

his deputy who told there partners who also work for the company and they told people there exact words "the stupid cow thinks nobody knows but we all do!"

How do you know that?

CatnissEverdene · 21/01/2019 12:54

Doing something that wasn't in your job description has nothing to do with your pregnancy.

You need to separate both issues here.

Jackshouse · 21/01/2019 12:56

Contact these people for advice

pregnantthenscrewed.com/advice-pregnant/

ZogTheOrangeDragon · 21/01/2019 12:57

My line manager asked me if I was pregnant I confirmed I was but asked for it to be kept confidential until my scan as I had a previous miscarriage.

Once you tell your employer you are pregnant, they have a responsibility towards you regarding this. Sometimes they either have to tell others or else others will find out as a result of their job roles - think those who deal with risk assessments, issuing maternity paperwork etc.

Then anothe member of staff approached me and said he had heard I was pregnant and it came management.

What was this person’s job role and how exactly did they find out?

My line manager told the ceo and his deputy who told there partners who also work for the company and they told people there exact words "the stupid cow thinks nobody knows but we all do!"

Your LM is not at fault for updating your CEO. The comment is unacceptable but can you prove it?

I reported this to the ceo and he said he would investigate but done nothing and as a consequence everyone stopped talking to me.

So this sounds like you are saying you felt bullied at work rather than discriminated against due to pregnancy. Did you raise this? Do you have proof of bullying?

Original poster
Lindyloo86 · 21/01/2019 12:57

I didn't ask for a party or even want one. I took very seriously ill massive asthma attack that started in work and a "hope your feeling better" would of been nice. Part of there policies and procedures includes a return to work which wasn't completed and no risk assessment completed for me. I don't expect them to ring me but you would think common courtesy would be to ask a member of staff who is never off how they are. This is not why I left but putting into context the sort of company I worked for!

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