Alice Thompson had been working for the same company for over ten years, and she started to feel like they were taking her for granted.
She realized that no matter how hard she worked, her boss would still take advantage of her.
She Put Her Heart And Soul Into It
"I'd put my heart and soul into an estate agency career for more than a decade," Alice recalls.
"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".
She Got Pregnant
When Alice found out that she was pregnant, she was ecstatic! She always dreamed of having a family but wanted to be financially stable first.
So, she took her maternity leave, planning to return to her job afterward.
Employee's Rights
A person working in the UK is eligible for flexible working hours after being employed for more than 26 weeks, and the employer has to inform them of their decision in less than 21 days.
So when Alice returned from her maternity leave, she used the right she thought she had.
She Wanted To Leave An Hour Early
Alice wanted to leave work one hour early so that she could get her newborn from the nursery. She even suggested that she could start working earlier to finish her entire shift.
"I made a request for flexible working that wasn't seriously considered," she explained.
She Was Shut Down
"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," she said.
"But it was shut down, every avenue, not listened to, not considered. And I was left with no other option…"
She Felt Betrayed
Alice was deeply upset. She handed her resignation letter feeling betrayed. She couldn't understand why her employer was so unwilling to help her.
"How are mums meant to have careers and families? It's 2021, not 1971," she said. But Alice wasn't going to let them get away with it.
She Took It To Court
She contacted a lawyer, and he advised her to pursue her case and take her employer to court under charges of discrimination.
Would it be worth it?
Uncertainty
After days of learning about legal pursuits, Alice felt ready to tell her story in court.
She had no idea what awaited her, but she hoped for the best.
She Received $254,621
The judge declared that Alice should be awarded $254,621 for loss of pension contribution, loss of earnings, as well as her injury to interest and feelings.
Then, the media began contacting her.
Her Story Went Viral
The news spread like wildfire, and it wasn't long before her face appeared on TV.
Alice says that this was an issue that needed to be addressed.
It Was Worth It
"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.
Alice said that her effort was worth it to "stand up for what is right."
Judge's Words
"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.
On Her Side
"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 she received unfair treatment considering her history as a valued employee and circumstance.
It's Not Fair
Thompson was happy that the court ruled in her favor. It's not fair to fire someone for being a mother and having commitments outside of work.
Do you agree?