A WOMAN has been awarded almost £28,000 for pregnancy discrimination by a Co Armagh business.
Laura Gruzdaite, who lives in Portadown and is orginally from Lithuania, was 20 weeks pregnant when she and her husband were both dismissed from their jobs at McGrane Nurseries in Tandragee.
An industrial tribunal found the decision to terminate Ms Gruzdaite's contract was "tainted by discrimination in that it was connected to her pregnancy".
It also said her "dismissal was both unfair and an act of unlawful discrimination".
The Equality Commission supported her case, alleging unlawful discrimination because she was dismissed for a reason relating to her pregnancy and because she was treated adversely following the announcement of her pregnancy.
The tribunal found unanimously in Ms Gruzdaite's favour and awarded her £27,917.60.
Ms Gruzdaite and her husband started work at McGrane Nurseries in January 2018, when she was given a blank contract to sign, specifically with no start or end dates.
The Equality Commission said she believed it was a permanent job and was not told it was a seasonal position.
When she announced her pregnancy and showed the appointment letter for her first ante-natal appointment to a manager, he forgot to tell the other manager about it.
She was called into a meeting with both managers to explain her absence, as well as a further meeting after another scan.
When the couple were attending an antenatal appointment in October, their employers held a meeting and a group of seasonal workers were given one week's notice of termination.
The couple were subsequently informed of their dismissal.
However, other seasonal workers were kept on and carried out the duties previously performed by Ms Gruzdaite.
During the hearing, Ms Gruzdaite said: "We were waiting for our child to come into this world but both of us were unemployed and had no additional income.
"When I returned to my place of work following this conversation, I felt nauseous, my hands were shaking, and I felt a dull pain and a stretching sensation in my stomach."
The tribunal found she was "unjustifiably questioned about her absence", when she had in fact told her manager the purpose of her being off work.
The employer accepted they failed to pay Ms Gruzdaite for her time off attending the antenatal appointments.
The tribunal found that a decision was made to "terminate the claimant's contract by choosing her to leave earlier than others because she had been on antenatal appointments and would be going on more appointments".
Dr Michael Wardlow from the Equality Commission said it was "dispiriting" they were "once again supporting another case of pregnancy discrimination".
"I'm afraid this is still all too common and in spite of the legislation being in place for more than 40 years, some employers still seem to be unaware of the law and the consequences of breaching it," he said.
Ms Gruzdaite said following her dismissal, she was "very worried that the stress could cause complications or even a miscarriage".
"No woman should lose her job because she is pregnant and it is important that women challenge such treatment."
