A high-powered UK lawyer has been forced to pay his former nanny thousands of dollars after a court decided he fired her because she was pregnant.
Sylvain Dhennin dismissed his nanny Saesi Muslipah four days after she told Mr Dhennin's wife Orla O'Sullivan she was pregnant, The Independent reports.
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Mr Dhennin handed Ms Muslipah a letter dismissing her and paid her one weeks' notice, claiming she was no longer needed as his children had been enrolled in nursery.
He claimed in his prepared statement he had no idea Ms Muslipah was pregnant when he fired her, although in a hearing with the London Employment Tribunal he admitted he was well aware.
He also told the court he had raised the issue of redundancy with Ms Muslipah several times in the past. She said the first she heard of it was when she was dismissed.
The tribunal sided with Ms Muslipah and upheld claims for direct pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal.
"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 [the children] would result in the claimant not being needed, or losing her job," employment Judge Graeme Hodgson said.
"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 was awarded £18,366.62 (NZ$36,740.49) for compensation, damages and interest.
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