Judge Orders Employer To Pay Working Mother Thousands After Firing Her For Getting Pregnant On Maternity Leave

A judge has ruled in favor of a UK woman who alleges that she was terminated from her job due to her pregnancy.

27-year-old Nikita Twitchen had just given birth and was getting ready to return to work post-maternity leave when she found out that she was pregnant once again.

She was then fired by her manager, 49-year-old Jeremy Morgan, before she even had the chance to return from maternity leave.

Twitchen, who fell pregnant in June of 2022, had planned to return to work on April 3 the following year, the Manchester Evening News reported. She attended a meeting with Morgan ahead of this date on Feb. 17, discussing her imminent return.

Towards the end of their meeting, Twitchen informed Morgan that she had become pregnant once again. Morgan claims he responded by congratulating her, which Twitchen disputes, adding that that Morgan was shocked to hear that she would be expecting another child.

Following this meeting, Twitchen's maternity leave ended, but no one from her company reached out to her about returning to the office. She then messaged Morgan, who later responded vaguely letting her know that she wouldn't be returning to work on the scheduled date.

"It's best to leave it until you have your routine in place," said Morgan's message.

Twitchen, who started working for the building services company First Grade Projects in 2021, had previously spoken positively about her manager, stating that their professional relationship was "very good" and that he was always responsive to her.

On April 18, Morgan called Twitchen and told her that her role within the company had been made redundant by new software, and that the company would be letting her go. Twitchen took the company to an employment tribunal under allegations of unfair dismissal, claiming that the company fired her due to her pregnancy.

She also reported that she was forced to take on cleaning jobs while pregnant, including at a launderette and a caravan park, in order to make ends meet following her termination.

The presiding judge, who commended Twitchen for her efforts to provide for her family after being terminated, ruled in favor of Twitchen and awarded her over £28,000 in compensation for her dismissal.