�200,000 for woman called 'useless'

[AB Asks]

A woman who was heading for directorship in her job before falling pregnant has won a massive �200,000 payout after her bosses sexually discriminated against her 24 times. The managing director was preparing her for directorship with promises of a BMW car, however when she told him she had unexpectedly fallen pregnant he said she would be 'useless' and never be the same again, and instead of the BMW would be given a 'runaround'. Whist on maternity leave she was demoted twice. Also in her interview before being offered the job she was asked outright whether she was considering starting a family � which is illegal. Was this woman given too much money? Or was her compensation a fair representation of the grief she was put through?

[Pippa68]

Too right she deserves it.

I remember being asked if I was considering starting a family. I thought nothing of it, and didn't know it was illegal.

[Pippa68]

I meant she deserves the money..not the treatment she was given by her bosses!

[jno]

hear hear. Some bosses just have no idea, do they? Hit them in the wallet, it's the only thing they understand.

[redcrx]

i think its fair, the company went against the regulations numerous times by the sound of it and so should be expected to pay.

[helpmetoo]

it doesnt matter how competent you are at a job,

if youre not at work you are useless to the company during that time, fact,

every employee runs the risk of being scrutinised when they bring attention to themselves because of absenteeism or for whatever reason, even holiday,

it might not be right, but it is life, live with it....

[Twenty20]

It's not actually illegal to ask if the woman is planning to start a family, it just leaves you open to a charge of discrimination or constructive dismissal if you then use that information to discriminate against her. Its the same with age discrimination - it's not illegal to ask the applicant's age, it just depends what you do with that information.

I think that as a boss you just have to assume that most women will have children at some time in their life between the ages of about 20 and 40 and accept that fact if you take them on.

The woman in this case has actually had two children so hardly 'unexpectedly fell pregnant'. The boss was particularly stupid though in his attitude and reaction.

[vehelpfulguy]

I wonder what the people who lost limbs in the tube bombings and got about �10,000 think about it ?

[jno]

they didn't get it from their employers, vehelpfulguy, they got it from us. How much would you have been willing to pay them?

[ludwig]

The payout won't be related to how much distress she's suffered - it will be based on what she's lost financially because of the discrimination and demotions.
For someone on good money to start with that could soon add up to 200k.
Her bosses are idiots and she deserves the compensation.

[Goodsoulette]

Baring in mind she was up for directorship this may well have been a rubbishy payout but with 200 grand she is hopefully going to live comfortably.