A woman in the UK who was fired from her job when she came back from maternity leave pregnant again, has been awarded 28,000 pounds by an employment tribunal. Nikita Twitchen, a former admin assistant at First Grade Projects in Pontypridd launched an unfair dismissal claim, alleging her pregnancy was the reason for her termination, Metro reported. During her back-to-work meeting with Managing Director Jeremy Morgan in early 2022, Ms Twitchen revealed she was expecting another child, which she claims caught her boss off guard.
Initially, the meeting seemed positive, with Mr Morgan expressing enthusiasm for her return. However, Ms Twitchen testified that the tone shifted dramatically upon disclosing her pregnancy, leading her to believe her job loss was directly linked to her pregnancy.
The woman said that when her maternity leave ended in March 2022, her company didn’t reach out to discuss her return. She then emailed her boss on April 4 about holiday entitlement, but he didn’t respond, which was unusual. Ms Twitchen followed up on April 11 and 18. Later that day, Mr Morgan called her to say she was being made redundant due to financial struggles and delays in some payments to the business.
He later claimed new software was being installed which meant her role ”would no longer exist.”
However, the tribunal ruled in Ms Twitchen’s favour, finding First Grade Projects liable for unfair dismissal and awarding her 28,000 pounds in compensation. Judge Robin Harvard pointed out a significant inconsistency in Jeremy Morgan’s reasoning for making her redundant. During their February meeting, Mr Morgan had claimed the business was doing well and made no mention of financial difficulties. He also didn’t mention the new software that supposedly made Ms Twitchen’s role obsolete, even during their April phone call.
The judge criticised First Grade’s failure to ”produce any evidence of the alleged financial difficulties or the new software” during the court case. He also pointed out that at no stage did Ms Twitchen receive a written statement setting out the reasons for her dismissal. Judge Havard ruled that Ms Twitchen was dismissed because she was pregnant.
He said that her dismissal was “unfair, discriminatory, and caused significant emotional distress.” He emphasised that being fired while pregnant and losing financial stability had a profound impact on her, particularly given her family responsibilities.
First Grade Projects told WalesOnline in a statement: “We are extremely disappointed with the outcome of the tribunal. We are actively reviewing all relevant information and considering all available options. At this point in time we are unable to provide any further comment.”