A pregnant care worker has been awarded £23,000 in compensation after enduring what an employment tribunal described as 'heartless' and 'threatening' messages from a colleague, who labelled her 'unreliable' due to pregnancy-related health issues. Sydney Aris, who worked for Blossom Healthcare, trading as Curant Care in Kent, began her employment in May 2024.
Background and Pregnancy Complications
Miss Aris had a pre-existing health condition that made pregnancy unlikely and high-risk, but she fell pregnant in June 2024, just a month after starting her role. Her joy was soon overshadowed by severe nausea, forcing her to take two days off work. The situation escalated when, while attending a patient in their home, she was pinched and hit in the stomach by the client, leading her midwife to advise immediate hospital treatment due to bleeding.
Miss Aris expressed being 'frightened that she was losing her baby' during this traumatic incident. Despite these serious health concerns, her colleague, referred to as MR, responded insensitively to her absences.
Discriminatory Messages and Resignation
MR called Miss Aris 'unreliable' and sent a WhatsApp message stating, 'You have been constantly called in sick since you find out you were pregnant.' In another message, MR wrote, 'We value your contribution to the team and I understand that in your current situation you cannot help much, but it's really concerning me your latest unreliability which is making a significant impact on our clients and also on other members of the staff.'
Miss Aris defended herself, replying, 'My concern is my health and my pregnancy so that comes first...I have to go to hospital because one of the clients has been violent and that's a concern of my unavailability.' After this exchange, she resigned with immediate effect over the comments and pursued a case for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal.
Tribunal Outcome and Compensation
The tribunal, held last month, upheld Miss Aris' claim of pregnancy discrimination against Curant Care. On January 6, she was awarded £18,000 as compensation for injury to feelings, £2,340 for financial losses, and £2,492 in interest, totalling £23,000. Employment Judge Kathryn Ramsden condemned MR's actions, stating the WhatsApp messages were 'unfeeling, ill-considered, and frankly, heartless.'
Judge Ramsden emphasised, 'At a time when any woman considers she may be experiencing a miscarriage, whether caused by workplace injury or not, to write to her in the terms MR did was cruel. This showed a complete disregard for [Miss Aris], and certainly amounted to a fundamental breach of the term of mutual trust and confidence.'
Impact and Broader Implications
The tribunal noted that the discrimination was 'overt' and occurred in front of others via the WhatsApp chat with on-call coordinators. While the messages spanned a single day, they were deemed 'threatening' as they implied potential disciplinary action due to her pregnancy-related absences. Miss Aris reported reluctance to apply for jobs in the care sector following the incident, highlighting the emotional and professional toll.
A few weeks after her resignation, she was judged unfit for work and later gave birth prematurely to twin daughters in December 2024. This case underscores the legal protections against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace and the serious consequences for employers who violate these rights.
