Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘JIBE’ MUM’S £15K
Ulster woman gets payout after discrimination case
A PREGANT woman who said a male colleague told her maternity leave was “like an extended holiday” has got a £15,000 payout.
The claim emerged as the Equality Commission told how Susanne Rice had a sex and age discrimination case against ex-employer Flint Studios Ltd settled “without admission of liability”.
The Commission said Ms Rice, 36, had been employed as an operations manager from June 2019 and was the only woman on the company’s senior leadership team.
Outling the background, the body said: “Susanne discovered she was pregnant at the end of January 2020, but did not disclose her pregnancy to her employer at an early stage because of her medical history. “Susanne received a letter from her GP to advise due to Covid-19 she had been added to the shielded list as a pregnant woman.
“At the beginning of April 2020, Susanne’s employer asked her to send them a copy. Susanne was invited to a meeting on May 21, 2020, at which she was informed the redundancy process was starting.
“Shortly after, Susanne told Flint Studios Ltd she was 20 weeks pregnant.
“She was then told of her redundancy on May 29, 2020, and her contract was terminated on June 1, 2020.” The Commission told how Susanne alleged “a senior male employee said, ‘Women have the life of it on maternity leave’ and it was ‘an extended holiday’.”
ECNI’S Mary Kitson said a “genuinely progressive organisation will not stereotype and exclude women and will ensure pregnant employees feel valued”.
A spokesman for Flint Studios said it is “committed to promoting equality”.