Pregnant Oswestry stablehand wins £20,000 payout over unfair sacking
A stablehand who lost her job when she became pregnant has won a £20,000 payout.
At an employment tribunal in Telford earlier this year Alice Parsons won her claim for unfair dismissal against the owners of Oswestry Equestrian Centre in Selattyn, where she started work in February, 2016.
In January, 2017, she told the owners, Richard Connell, and his wife Maria Carmen Castillo, that she was expecting a baby in mid-September but that she would carry on working as long as possible.
Two weeks later Mr Connell told her that she was no longer required as there was not enough work for her and the other stablehands.
However, shortly after Miss Parsons left another employee, who had been off work because she had been working in a different stable where a case of strangles had been reported, returned to the Oswestry centre.
Mr Connell denied dismissing Miss Parsons, claiming she had resigned and that her unreliability had caused discord between her and her co-workers, but the tribunal upheld her claim, describing her evidence as “clear, compelling and consistent”.
Employment Judge Christopher Gaskell said: “Mr Connell foresaw that the claimant would be less useful and a potential liability to the respondent because she was pregnant.”
Both parties agreed on a settlement without a further tribunal hearing.
Miss Parsons will receive £35 as a basic award, £3,676 as compensation for unfair dismissal and £16,725 for injury to her feelings.
