Fired after WFH request, pregnant UK woman gets 1 crore compensation

Paula, who joined the company in March 2022, informed Ammar of the pregnancy in October that year. The following month, severe morning sickness made working in the office difficult.

After leaving work early due to nausea, Paula messaged the boss asking to work from home. In the request, a health and safety assessment was also mentioned, as advised by the midwife.

On 26 November, Ammar checked in on the condition. Paula responded, saying the sickness felt “horrendous” and jokingly questioned why it was called “morning sickness” when it affected the whole day.

The following evening, Ammar asked if it was possible to work a few days the next week and finish by 4 PM, as he was going on holiday. However, Paula explained being sick six times that day and possibly needing hospitalisation, making it impossible to work. An apology was also given for not being able to support the team.

Days later, on 1 December, Ammar messaged, stating the company needed someone physically present in the office as they were “struggling.” Assurance was given that it was “nothing personal” and that other job opportunities would be explored. The message ended with, “Hope to see you soon. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do outside of work [jazz hands emoji],” Independent reported.

Paula, confused and distressed, replied, “I’m confused with what’s going on. I’ve been working remotely as agreed since I told you I was pregnant… and now you’re firing me?”

Tribunal Rules in Favour of Paula

The tribunal ruled that Ammar’s message clearly terminated employment, despite later attempts to argue that no dismissal had occurred. The panel found that the dismissal was directly linked to pregnancy, making it unlawful.

Employment Judge Garry Smart stated, “It is objectively clear that this text message brought the employment relationship to an end.”

As a result, Paula was awarded £94,000 (almost Rs 1 crore) in compensation for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal.