Fired mum who lacked milk for tot wins £40k

A TRAUMATISED office worker who struggled to feed her baby after being sacked while on maternity leave has been awarded more than £40,000.

Anastassia Rodin was fired just weeks after giving birth and told to go to a Jobcentre for money, a tribunal heard.

Stress from the dismissal stopped Mrs Rodin producing enough milk for her daughter, causing “additional distress”.

The hearing was told she was a £25,000-a-year trainer at Dhillons Management Services of Northfleet, Kent, which supplied HR services to chains such as Domino’s and Costa Coffee.

She began maternity leave in June 2017, just before the firm ceased work and its contracts were taken over by DMS1 Limited. She was told she would receive only two months of maternity pay and to go to a Jobcentre for “future money”.

She was fired without notice in September but was contacted about being taken on by DMS1 after her maternity leave.

Mrs Rodin told the employment tribunal in Croydon, south London: “Gurjeet Dhillon [managing director of Dhillons Management Services] said I could work for the new company but I would lose my maternity pay and my benefits.” She turned down the offer as she no longer trusted the company.

The tribunal heard Mrs Rodin was unable to enjoy her newborn baby, was depressed and lacked enough milk to feed her. She sued both firms for unfair dismissal plus pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

Rajbinder Sandhu, director of DMS1, said Mrs Rodin was “sold a dream” by her lawyer and had gone to therapy for “a big payday” but the panel ruled she was fired as she was on maternity leave and awarded her £41,191.

Some £12,500 was given for injury to feelings caused by Ms Sandhu’s comments.

The panel said: “Mrs Rodin had no job during her maternity leave and this had a detrimental and adverse impact upon her health and well-being and this adversely impacted her ability to feed her child, which caused additional distress.

“That distress was worsened by Dhillons Management Services failing to contact Mrs Rodin or to provide her with any means to access the rest of her maternity pay.”