Our client, Laura, a Lithuanian national, worked for a contract cleaning company, based in Margate, as a cleaner, working night shifts, cleaning schools and colleges.

She worked hard, at all times, and there was never any suggestion that there was a problem with her work.

Towards the end of 2005, she became pregnant.

When she told her employer he told her he would not pay her maternity pay.

Shortly afterwards, she was ‘finished up’ on one of her two shifts and two weeks later was told there was no work for her on the other shift.

She took advice from the CAB in Canterbury who referred her on to us under the signposting referral scheme run by the LSC.

With LSC public funding backing we took the case on to Tribunal.

It was fully contested.

Nick Fairweather represented Laura at a Tribunal hearing on 5th September.

The Tribunal gave its reserved decision on 15th November.

The Tribunal upheld every single one of Laura’s complaints, ruling that the Respondent had unlawfully failed to pay her holiday pay, failed to provide particulars of employment, unfairly dismissed her on the grounds of pregnancy and discriminated against her on the grounds of her gender.

They ordered the Respondent to pay Laura a sum just short of £9,000 in compensation.

Ingrid Jokubauskaite, a CAB advisor, acted as an interpreter throughout.

Nick Fairweather commented:-

“I am really pleased for Laura. She has stood up against a large local employer who behaved appallingly. It is not only a victory for her but sets an example to other employees in low paid jobs that they have the same rights as everyone else.”