Failure of probation

[Skyela]

I just need some advice i have been working since the end of last November and today have been told i have failed my probation my employees knew i was pregnant and i could have left in 7 weeks for my maternity. Do i have any rights and what can i do?

[Nautiloid]

That's a long probation! Did they give you any indication things weren't going well?

[LuckyLou7]

Have you had any appraisals or 1:1 meetings with your line manager since the start of your employment? It seems very odd, have they told you when you will be out of work. You could contact ACAS for advice.

www.acas.org.uk/advice

[daisypond]

It sound like a normal probation time to me - about six months.

[bookgirl1982]

If you are more than 25 weeks pregnant then you may still be entitled to maternity pay from your employer.

[Finfintytint]

My probation was two years so I don't think it's out of the ordinary.

[prh47bridge]

You cannot claim unfair dismissal. However, if there is reason to believe they are sacking you because you are pregnant rather than because of problems with your work you may be able to claim discrimination. If you have legal cover with your house insurance it would be worth using it to consult a lawyer.

[flowery]

Normally there is a requirement to have two years service before you can claim unfair dismissal, however if your dismissal was because of your pregnancy (or one of a list of other reasons mainly discrimination-related), that would be automatically unfair and therefore no two year service requirement applies.

Do you have any reason to think your pregnancy was relevant?