Payback
She desperately tried to arrange different proposals so that she could work and be a mother. But her firm wasn't having any of it.
After more than a decade of working hard for their company, she felt pushed out and sidelined. Now, it was personal and she was going to do everything she could to make them pay.
Alice Thompson
Alice Thompson was one of the top-performing real-estate sales managers in her firm. She was at the peak of her career when the unimaginable happened.
Thompson was a hard-working woman who loved to be intellectually challenged. In other words, she didn’t shy away from a fight and for the most part, it paid off.
Heart And Soul
"I'd put my heart and soul into an estate agency career for more than a decade," she explained. "That's no mean feat, it's quite a male-dominated environment to work in. And I've worked really hard to build relationships with clients."
However, Thompson had no idea what all her hard work was about to amount to.
Mom-To-Be
It was the happiest day of Thompson’s life when she found out she was pregnant. She had always wanted to be a mom but was adamant she wanted to be financially secure before doing so.
Now, it was as if all her plans were finally coming to fruition. She took maternity leave for her pregnancy and looked forward to returning to the office. But she had one simple request.
Worker’s Rights
In the UK, all employees have the right to request flexible working hours after 26 weeks of being with a single firm. If a request is in, the firm must consider it fairly and make a decision within 3 months.
Knowing this, Thompson returned to work after maternity leave and exercised her right. Little did she know it would end in disaster.
A Small Request
Thompson asked her employer if she could work shorter hours. She wanted a four-day week, and to leave at 5 pm, rather than the normal 6 pm finish time.
Her reason was to pick her daughter up from nursery. She even suggested starting work earlier at 8 am rather than 9 am so she could work her normal 9-hour shift. But their reply left her stunned.
Shut Down
"I made a request for flexible working that wasn't seriously considered," Thompson said. "I proposed what would have worked for me. If that didn't work for the company, I would have been more than happy to hear a counteroffer, which might work for them.”
"But it was shut down, every avenue, not listened to, not considered. And I was left with no other option..."
Upset And Angry
Thompson was deeply upset. Their unwillingness to accommodate her needs as an employee with a child left her with no option.
She handed in her resignation feeling disregarded and expendable. After working there for over 10 years, she helped the company grow, and now just because she was a mother with out-of-office responsibilities, she wasn’t valued anymore. That’s when the anger set in.
Lack Of Compassion
She couldn’t understand why they were so unwilling to help her and their lack of compassion and understanding for her new situation made her stomach churn!
“How are mums meant to have careers and families? It's 2021, not 1971", she said. She spent almost a year trying to forget the horrible ordeal until something clicked.
Feeling Pushed Out
She felt like she had no job to return to. It was simply impossible to keep up child care and work a full-time job. She was confused and hurt. She felt like the industry she worked so hard to contribute to had pushed her out and left her sidelined.
That’s when she decided she needed to teach them a lesson and make them pay.
Legal Advice
Thomspon decided to call up a lawyer and ask him where she stood. The lawyer was beaming ear to ear on hearing her case. He swiftly advised her to pursue her case and take them to court under the charges of discrimination.
Thompson had never sued anyone before. She had no idea how this was going to go.
A Ball Of Nerves
She spent hours learning about legal pursuits and how to conduct herself in court. She knew that with a case like this, it was only a matter of time before she hit the headlines.
When she appeared in court, she was trembling with nerves. She looked around the room and spotted the VIP’s in her firm. Before, she did everything she could to impress them.
Bad Blood
Now, it was a completely different story. She looked at them with disdain as she made her way to the testimony stand.
She noticed their cold looks as she introduced herself to the court. There was nothing but bad blood between them now. She tried her best not to feel intimidated.
The Result
She sat on the chair, facing the court and recounted her unjust experience. Her speech was emotional and inspiring. When she finished speaking, she looked at the judge.
Suddenly, she was thankful the judge was also a woman. Maybe she had children of her own and could relate from her own experience. But Thomspon had no idea what she was thinking. Would her lawsuit hold up in court?
A Huge Payout
After what Thompson described as "a long, exhausting journey", the court ruled that the firm’s inability to consider more flexible working put Thompson at a disadvantage among her peers.
The judge upheld her claim and declared that she should be awarded $254,621 for loss of earnings, loss of pension contributions, as well as her injury to feelings and interest. But then the media began to grab hold of the story.
Motives
As Thompson predicted, word of her lawsuit spread like wildfire. She hit radio and tv stations around the nation and sparked a big debate on working mothers and their treatment in the workplace.
A lot of people agreed that this was an issue that needed to be addressed - others didn’t.
Decades Of Change
It’s true that a lot has changed only within the last few decades. But the dramatic change in gender roles could potentially be one of the biggest.
Women are more independent than they ever were. Now, it isn’t too far-fetched to imagine that a woman can have children and maintain a killer career but that doesn’t mean the world is set up for her - quite the opposite.
Ideal Working Week
When the idea of the ideal working week was conceptualized, there were a lot of things that went into consideration that are simply just outdated today.
Back then, it was mainly manual labour. The idea of clocking in and out was because you physically had to be there. Not to mention, the long hours were tailored for a man who back then was the main and often only breadwinner of the family.
Changing World
Long hours were regarded as the norm so that the man could earn more and provide for his family. But now, there are usually two earners in the family.
Not to mention the complete disruption digital technology has had on working life. Regardless, Thompson knew things needed to be updated and it caused histeria online.
Skeptics
Many people online questioned why she was doing this, suggesting that she was only in it for the money. However, Thompson insists that she was motivated to pursue the legal challenge in order to prompt change.
One of the main motivations she had was her baby daughter.
Paving The Way
"I've got a daughter and I didn't want her to experience the same treatment in 20, 30 years' time, when she's in the workplace." She said she’d do it again in a heartbeat to "stand up for what is right".
The court had this further to say...
The Verdict
"Losing a job unexpectedly is always a cause of unhappiness, shock, and sometimes anger, as shown by the way many employees react to redundancy, even when there has been proper consultation, and even when it is never suggested their performance was not good enough," the court said.
The judge continued.
Ruling In Her Favor
"Here the claimant resented that flexible working appeared not to be considered properly - as in our finding it was not - and felt that this was an injustice because of her sex, which it was."
The judge agreed that Thomspon received unreasonable treatment considering her circumstance, rights, and history as a valued employee
Future Generation
Thomspon was relieved that the court ruled in her favor and hoped that the message behind her legal pursuit would reach companies and firms everywhere.
It’s simply not fair to penalize a woman for being a mom and having out-of-work commitments - especially when those commitments are the future generation of their nation. But what do you think?
Stick It To The Man!
Do you believe that this ruling was just and fair for the situation at hand? If so, shouldn’t all companies provide the same flexible working options so that more women can pursue a balanced life of both career and family?
The world is certainly changing, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep up with it and encourage an environment where everyone can thrive for better treatment and a better life!