Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser | News | I was sacked for falling pregnant

Friday, 29th August, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 11th June, 2008 12:00

I was sacked for falling pregnant

By Hamish Hutchinson

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A CALL CENTRE worker who claimed she was sacked because she was pregnant has been awarded almost £7000 compensation.

Denise Asher was left feeling humiliated after bosses at Viewpoint Systems Ltd dismissed her in November last year.

They claimed she was “no longer suitable” for the Alva-based call centre and escorted the 15-weeks pregnant worker out of the building.

The sacking came less than a week after the 25-year-old had contacted the payroll department to enquire about maternity pay.

And only days before that her work had been praised by those same bosses.

A Glasgow employment tribunal last Tuesday concluded that Miss Asher, of Blairhall, Fife, had been discriminated against because she was pregnant. Tribunal judge Susan Walker awarded her £6913 compensation, including £3000 for injury to her feelings.

Miss Asher began working for Viewpoint Systems, based in the Alva Industrial Estate, in July last year.

The tribunal heard that she had been doing well in the inbound calls department, and was transferred to a debt collection campaign.

She was achieving her call target and at the beginning of November manager Jim McDermott told her she was doing well.

When she discovered that she was pregnant Miss Asher said she was told by her line manager not to tell anyone.

Miss Asher told the Advertiser, “When I was going for scans I was having to work my time back. I was already struggling with morning sickness and I was having to get up earlier to make up the hours.”

She contacted the payroll department to discuss maternity pay on 13 November and six days later was called into the boardroom by Mr McDermott.

She went on, “I was doing 25 calls in an hour and was told I was doing well. Two weeks later I asked about maternity leave and phoned payroll.

“I was told the person I needed to speak to wasn’t in. The following Monday I got sacked.

“I kept asking for a reason as they had told me I was doing well and had a good career there until I asked about maternity pay. I didn’t get any verbal or written warnings. He (Jim McDermott) told me I was unsuitable and he didn’t have to explain himself to me.

“They escorted me out of the building in front of everybody – it’s an open plan office so everybody knew. I’m 15-weeks pregnant and sticking out to here and I just felt rotten.”

Since being fired from Viewpoint, Miss Asher struggled to find work because of her pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby daughter, Molly, on the 5 May.

She said, “When I first started out at Viewpoint they made themselves out to be a great big company but they’re not at all. I just don’t think they care.”

Tribunal judge Ms Walker took into account the timing between her alerting the payroll department of her pregnancy and the dismissal, the lack of any alternative explanation and the absence of any problems with performance prior to her dismissal and the fact she had been given positive feedback just two weeks before.

Viewpoint Systems Ltd is expected to be in court again next week for a separate employment tribunal case.

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