A mother of two has told how she single-handedly took on one of Britain's biggest companies to win a pregnancy discrimination case.
The 37-year-old accounts manager, who represented herself at an employment tribunal against the £1.5 billion business services firm, is now in line to receive compensation after a judge upheld her claims of pregnancy discrimination and constructive dismissal. 'But it was a necessary evil, not only to seek my own justice and to rectify the unimaginable pain and suffering they had put me through, but also to give hope to all the other new and expectant mothers out there, to show them that you can do it without the hefty legal fees and with the right support.
'I felt sad that I had spent nearly two years having to be a novice legal beagle just so I could navigate the legal system. A female manager described her in February 2020 as 'extremely dedicated', always striving to deliver the best possible customer service to her client and as having 'tremendous potential', the tribunal heard.
'I was expecting this email as Nicola has become very emotional and tearful especially over the last week or so,' he wrote. 'There were many instances that only with hindsight I could see that the treatment I received was just not okay, but at the time I was made to feel like putting up with their actions was my only option, at times I felt completely gaslit by their behaviour.
'I made several requests to my line manager and others for support but unfortunately these were not enough to stop the panic attacks that followed.' 'I never did receive support or indeed any help to resolve any of the stresses affecting my mental health and wellbeing, instead it was suggested by my line manager that I was been stereotypically emotional and that sending me off on unpaid leave would resolve the issues raised.
She continued: 'Finding this information out felt like I had been taken advantage of and that I was just another payroll number that could be manipulated for greed.