A woman who was fired for getting pregnant while on maternity leave has won a massive payout.
Nikita Twitchen was preparing to return to her office admin post at building services firm First Grade Projects after having a baby when she discovered she was expecting again.
However, she was dismissed by managing director Jeremy Morgan before she returned to stop her going on another 36-week maternity leave.
The 27-year-old was left unemployed and forced to take cleaning jobs while pregnant to support her family. Now, an employment tribunal has ruled she was unfairly dismissed.
Cardiff Magistrate's Court heard the dismissal of Twitchen was unfair, discriminatory (file pic)
Ben Birchall/PA Wire
The tribunal heard how Twitchen, of Porth, Rhondda, was hired in October 2021 as an office administration assistant and described her working relationship with Morgan as "very good."
Twitchen told the Cardiff tribunal they got on well and he was "very responsive" when she needed to speak to him. Morgan said the business was doing well and had recently secured a contract with the NHS.
Morgan said he was looking forward to Twitchen coming back from her maternity leave after she fell pregnant and took maternity leave in June 2022 from their offices in Pontypridd, South Wales
Eight months later, at a return-to-work meeting, Twitchen revealed she was pregnant again although it was only at the eight-week stage. The tribunal heard this "came as a shock" to the boss.
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When her maternity leave came to an end on March 26, no one from First Grade contacted her to confirm her return to work. She had expected to come back on April 3 but had to chase for a response to her message to Morgan.
Morgan eventually messaged her saying: "It's best to leave it until you have your routine in place."
She called three times without response but later in April he rang her back to say she was being made redundant because of financial difficulties and delays in some payments to the business. He would then claim that new software was being installed which meant her role "would no longer exist."
Employment Judge Robin Havard ruled Twitchen was dismissed because she was pregnant.
Judge Harvard criticised First Grade's failure to "produce any evidence of the alleged financial difficulties or of the new software" during the court case.
The tribunal also heard that at no stage did Twitchen receive a written statement setting out the reasons for her dismissal. The judge highlighted Morgan's "change of attitude" after learning of the pregnancy, reports MailOnline.
He also pointed out the change in his "speed of response" to messages and the 'complete lack of any coherent evidence-based alternative explanation" despite ample opportunities to provide one.
Judge Havard concluded the dismissal of Twitchen was unfair, discriminatory and ordered First Grade and Morgan to pay compensation totalling £28,706.
