A wealthy lawyer has been ordered to pay his former nanny more than £18,000 after dismissing her shortly after she disclosed her pregnancy. Sylvain Dhennin, a partner at international law firm Hogan Lovells, sacked Saesi Muslipah just four days after she told his wife she was expecting a child.
Mr Dhennin, who holds law degrees from the University of Paris and Oxford University, gave Ms Muslipah one week's notice by handing her a termination letter, claiming his two sons were to be enrolled in a Chelsea nursery. However, the London Employment Tribunal found that the real reason for her dismissal was her pregnancy.
The tribunal heard that Ms Muslipah, who worked as a nanny and also performed housework, was told on 22 September 2017 that her services were no longer needed. She was handed a letter confirming her dismissal and finished work that day. After losing her job, she was unable to find work through nanny agencies and was forced to claim benefits and maternity allowance after giving birth to a baby boy in March 2018.
Employment Judge Graeme Hodgson ruled that Mr Dhennin had obscured the facts and used 'deliberate, careful and sophisticated' language in his testimony. The judge stated: 'We find that at no time prior to 22 September 2017 was it ever suggested to the claimant that her role was redundant... She was pregnant, and she was concerned how she would manage financially.'
The tribunal awarded Ms Muslipah a total of £18,366.62, including £6,500 in damages, plus compensation and interest. The judge concluded: '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.'
