London lawyer ordered to pay nanny more than £18,000 after sacking her when she revealed pregnancy
Following her dismissal, Saesi Muslipah could not find work at a nanny agency and was forced to claim basic maternity allowance
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Your support makes all the difference.A London lawyer has been ordered to pay his nanny more than £18,000 after sacking her for getting pregnant.
Sylvain Dhennin, a partner at international corporate lawyers Hogan Lovells, paid Saesi Muslipah a week's notice and handed her a letter dismissing her.
Following her dismissal, Ms Muslipah could not find work at a nanny agency and was forced to sign on, then claim basic maternity allowance after having her baby.
Ms Muslipah was sacked on 22 September last year, just four days after she told Mr Dhennin's wife Orla O'Sullivan that she was pregnant.
Although Mr Dhennin admitted at the beginning of the hearing that his wife had told him of the pregnancy, in his prepared statement he said Ms Muslipah never told him she was pregnant.
He said: “I was never informed by Ms Muslipah during her employment that she was pregnant, even though she saw me almost every morning before she went to work.”
The tribunal accused him of "obscuring the facts" and using "deliberate, careful and sophisticated" language.
Mr Dhennin said Ms Muslipah was made redundant because his two sons Patrick and Philip were enrolled at nursery in Chelsea.
Mr Dhennin said the issue of redundancy had been raised with Ms Muslipah, but she claimed her dismissal was the first she had heard of it.
The London Employment Tribunal did not believe him, upholding her claims for direct pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal.
Employment Judge Graeme Hodgson said: “We find that at no time prior to 22 September 2017 was it ever suggested to the claimant that her role was redundant or that the nursery arrangements for Patrick and Philip would result in the claimant not being needed, or losing her job.
”She was pregnant, and she was concerned how she would manage financially. She was generally upset, and she missed the children.
“We are not satisfied that the claimant would have been made redundant at the same time had it not been for the fact she told the respondent of her pregnancy. Pregnancy was a material factor in that decision."
Ms Muslipah gave birth to her son on 26 March, and she is now on maternity allowance.
Ms Muslipah, who lives in Hackney, was awarded a total of £18,366.62, of which £6,500 was damages with the rest covering compensation and interest.
SWNS
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