A mother who was dismissed from her job after returning from maternity leave and revealing she was pregnant again has been awarded £28,000 in compensation.
Nikita Twitchen filed an unfair dismissal claim after losing her position as an admin assistant at Pontypridd-based building company First Grade Projects in April 2022.
She told the employment tribunal that her initial meeting with managing director Jeremy Morgan upon her return from maternity leave had started positively, with Morgan expressing enthusiasm about her return.
However, she said it came as a shock when she informed him that she was pregnant once again.
Twitchen described their working relationship as “very good,” with Morgan being responsive to her needs. Yet, after her maternity leave ended in March 2022, no one from the company reached out regarding her return to work.
When she inquired about holiday entitlement in April, Morgan initially failed to respond, which the tribunal deemed out of character. After sending follow-up messages, Morgan eventually informed her that she was being made redundant due to financial difficulties and delays in payments.
Morgan later claimed that new software had been installed, which would render her role redundant. However, Judge Robin Harvard noted that Morgan had never mentioned financial troubles or redundancy during their February meeting, and had even indicated the business was doing well at that time. Even in the April call, he didn’t mention any new software.
The judge criticized First Grade for failing to provide evidence of the alleged financial difficulties or new software and pointed out that Twitchen had never received a written statement explaining the reason for her dismissal.
Twitchen also discovered that the company had rebranded, hired new employees, and invested in vehicles since her dismissal, casting doubt on Morgan’s claim of financial difficulties.
Judge Harvard concluded that Twitchen’s dismissal was due to her pregnancy and noted the change in Morgan’s attitude after learning of it, as well as the delay in his responses and lack of any credible explanation. The judge ruled that the dismissal was unfair and discriminatory, causing Twitchen significant anxiety and distress, particularly due to her financial insecurity and family responsibilities.
As a result, First Grade and Morgan were ordered to pay £28,706 in compensation. The company responded by saying it was “extremely disappointed” with the outcome and was reviewing its options.
