UK woman awarded nearly 93,000 pounds

A UK employment tribunal has awarded a pregnant woman nearly 93,000 pounds (around ₹1 crore) in compensation after she was unjustly fired for requesting to work from home due to severe morning sickness.

The woman, Paula Miluska, was dismissed by her employer, Ammar Kabir, via a text message that cited business challenges and the need for an in-office worker. The message, which ended with a “jazz hands” emoji, was deemed an unfair dismissal by the tribunal.The situation unfolded when Miluska, an investment consultant, informed her employer that she was experiencing severe pregnancy-related nausea and requested to work from home. She mentioned that her midwife had advised her to do so during this critical phase of pregnancy.

In her message, Miluska also asked about a health and safety assessment that would be required once she returned to work.The tribunal found that after this request, there was a lack of communication between the two until November 26, when Kabir asked about her condition. The next day, he suggested she could work shorter hours for a few days, but the tribunal dismissed this as insincere. Kabir’s claim that he needed Miluska to cover his holiday absence was seen as a pretext, with the tribunal ruling that the real reason for her termination was her pregnancy.

As a result, the tribunal awarded Miluska £93,616.74 in compensation, affirming that her pregnancy was the basis for her unfair dismissal from Roman Property Group Limited in Birmingham.