Dismissed while pregnant - employer using an old resignation letter

[Kipdfgy]

Hi all,
I’m 11 weeks pregnant and really shaken by what's just happened at work. I’ve been with the company (a small family-run business) for 4 years in a managerial role. After I told them about my pregnancy, they immediately started pressuring me to return just 2 months after giving birth and to go full-time by April 2026. They also asked me to arrange all antenatal appointments on specific days to “minimise disruption,” even though these are set by the NHS.

Earlier this week, after another day of being criticised and overhearing my boss complain about me on the phone to my colleague (again! FYI they have been keeping a secret document of all my mistakes, which I found out about. They have never formally addressed these with me), I had an emotional outburst and left work early. In the heat of the moment I said I was resigning and didn’t hand anything formal in. But later that day, I got an email saying they were “accepting” a resignation letter I’d submitted and withdrawn back in 2024 — over a year ago! I have queried this and said I haven’t resigned and it’s unlawful to use and old document that was withdrawn as I continued working. They won’t accept they are wrong.

I feel like they’ve used this as an excuse to get rid of me and avoid maternity pay. I’ve never been disciplined, I met all my targets, and I feel like this is discrimination. I’m speaking with ACAS, but I just feel lost, angry and quite emotional right now.

Has anyone been through anything like this? Any advice or solidarity would really help.
Thanks so much.

Was there any witnesses to your verbal resignation op?

If there was, this is the angle I would frame it from.

I would say in your defence that you only said that and went home as the work environment and colleagues were making you at that time unduly distressed. So you removed yourself from the situation for your mental and emotional health. Definitely seek professional advice though.

My boss a woman produced a secret dossier on me of criticism and complaints. Never raised with me. The union rep made it quite clear that it wasn't usable. I had my baby and maternity leave.

Stick with ACAS

They asked you to stay the last time you resigned in 2024, but what changed? Them just asking you to stay surely wouldn't have been enough if they did nothing to improve the poor conditions, micromanagement etc.

Options:

you could march them into a tribunal but what will that actually achieve?

you could fight them about your resignation. How will that help you to be employed in a role where you are respected and rewarded?

these are important aspects to consider, if you'll be having your baby potentially at a time when a court case comes to a head.

a potential option is to engage with a solicitor and get them to work up a letter proposing a settlement of x months salary (for you and your solicitor to discuss and agree a realistic amount), a clean reference and payment of any outstanding holiday pay. They may see a risk of discrimination and be happy to pay you off,

then get the hell out, it sounds like a horrendous place to work with horrible managers.

Says who? They could also be seen as a performance issue.

One verbal resignation. After being treated appallingly on disclosure of her pregnancy. The other was written and the company subsequently asked her to stay - which doesn’t indicate performance issues. The performance issues mentioned recently were only brought up after OP disclosed her pregnancy and no PIP had been put in place.

Misleading title - you resigned, you weren't dismissed.

A verbal resignation can be accepted.

Do you have proof of them dictating when you can have appointments and asking you to return after two months? I'm no expert so check with acas but that sounds like constructive dismissal.

Update - they have done a 180 and have stated they are reviewing the situation to cause the least disruption to all of us and have asked me if they were to forget what happened yesterday, how i see our working relationship going forwards.. I reckon they have sought legal advice and realised that they have messed up a bit here.

@Kipdfgy thanks for updating us. Sounds like they want to work things out with you. However do you want to go back? It doesn't sound like a great workplace at all.

No I do not. I don’t think they actually want me back either.

I would say you want to consider legal advice before responding to them as they have caused a women in fhe early stages of pregnancy severe distress

I would love to hear the other side of the story to this. The fact you have resigned twice in the heat of the moment and retracted this makes you sound petulant and immature, not to mention extremely unprofessional . They have probably been looking for any excuse to get rid of you, managing someone who does this sounds like a total nightmare.

Keep your head down, do the work, try to meet them half way and be a decent employee and get through to the end of your pregnancy and Mat leave then start looking for something else.

It’s a rollercoaster with this employer, OP!

I would be waiting for the performance plan chat to happen relatively soon and they manage you out, but that’s ok. Keep a log of EVERYTHINF

You ave missed the point. She needs actual advice from someone qualified to give it.

It doesn’t matter that they asked her because that will be evident by the fact that she continued working there and they continued to pay her. There was clearly an agreement for her to continue doing so.

Don’t speak to them again or agree anything until you yourself have spoken to a solicitor.

I don’t know why you’ve told me all that.

Please talk to pregnant then screwed they specialise in these types of situation.. sadly Research shows that 74,000 women per year are sacked, constructively dismissed or made redundant while pregnant, on maternity leave or within a year of their return in the uk.

this is constructive dismissal and using an old letter is pretty good evidence that they are pushing you out.

If seeking a legal resolve via acas & tribunal process don’t forget to exhaust the internal process first, even if it’s just going through the motions and you know you won’t get anywhere. Failure to log a grievance/appeal and use internal process prior to tribunal can be frowned upon & lead to reduced settlement. Put in a grievance as a leaver sharing what you have here. If/when they don’t adequately respond, get onto a solicitor (within 3 months of any acts you may want to raise in tribunal as you have 3 months to submit a claim)

This. How many NHS appointments have you had at 11 weeks of pregnancy?

How is this remotely helpful?

Do you have anything in writing rescinding the resignation and a reply from them accepting the rescinding.

I once resigned and rescinded the resignation after being asked to stay, I asked for the letter back and a letter confirming the request to stay/acceptance of that - stayed 10 more years.

You really need legal advice, but I would say if you said I'm off on say 30 Aug 24 and you are still working there and getting paid in 2025 then their actions in continuing to employ you and yours in continuing to turn up forms a contract and invalidates the resignation.

Similar happened to me, Pregnant and then Screwed gave me excellent advice. ACAS will tell you your rights but I found the information hit and miss defending on who you speak to. Also worth while speaking to a few no win no fee solicitors to gauge your legal position, as they’ll only offer this service if you have a decent case for discrimination.

Yes I do, I have all the emails.

the first time I resigned was not in the heat of the moment. I was very ready to leave. I handed in my notice and resignation in writing and they contacted me and asked me to stay, and we shared our grievances on the promise things would get better, and it didn’t.