Áine Magorrian, who is from the Castlewellan area of County Down, was made redundant five months into her second maternity leave with renewable energy firm Saliis.
The challenge she made against the firm cited unlawful discrimination and unfair dismissal of pregnancy and gender. The case was settled before it was able to reach an industrial tribunal hearing.
Mrs Magorrian joined Saliis at the beginning of 2013. At the beginning of her employment, she worked for the company as a manger of operations and maintenance. In October 2016, while on maternity leave with her second child, Mrs Magorrian was told that she was no longer employed by the firm.
She spoke of the impact that losing her job while on maternity leave had on her and her family, saying: ‘I had always worked hard for the company and believe I made a very positive contribution to its work," she said. Finding out that I was to be made redundant five months into my maternity leave was devastating for me and my family.’
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland helped Mrs Magorrian in making the claim against her former employers.
After the birth of Mrs Magorrian’s first child, the commission said that problems started for her. They said that it was on her first maternity leave that she was told her position within the company had changed.
At this point Mrs Magorrian decided not to pursue any complaint against that company, as she was told at the time that the reason for her change in position was to make her position at the company more secure.
While pregnant with her second child, Mrs Magorrian fell ill, and was forced to take sick leave before her maternity leave. After returning from her sick leave, Mrs Magorrian was moved from her position again, and finally made redundant after the birth of her second child.
Saliis defended their decision to make Mrs Magorrian redundant, suggesting that the reason for her losing her job was to do with the loss of work within the renewables sector as well as less contracts for the company.
The equality commission have said that after defending the decision to fire Mrs Magorrian, the company had agreed to pay her a settlement sum, and apologised for any upset that they caused her.
The watchdog also said that the company had agreed to meet with the Equality Commission in order to review their policies surrounding redundancy, maternity and equal opportunities.
The commission carried out an investigation last year into the treatment of mothers and pregnant women in the workplace and if found that half of the women who were surveyed felt that they had had their career opportunities damaged because of their maternity leave.
For experts in employment law, including pregnancy discrimination claims, call Lloyd Donnelly Solicitors now on 02082077358 today, or complete our online enquiry form here.
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