One-third of Irish mother’s experience maternity leave-related discrimination. But it is not always easy to spot this type of discrimination or know how to tackle it.
Do you struggle to get over how you were treated so disrespectfully by someone you had worked so hard for?
Do you lie awake at night fretting about how you are going to provide for your family… or wake up in the morning with a sick stomach over what’s happened to you fearful of what’s going to be thrown at you next?
Many pregnant women have experienced treatment at work which has taken their voices from them. They have lost their confidence to speak up. They’re afraid of the consequences of doing so.
Don’t accept unfair treatment at work just because of your pregnancy. Now is the time to stand up, speak up and make your voice heard!
“She loved her job. She was working towards a promotion and more and more responsibilities were being given to her and she loved it. She was a high-performer, on the fast-track until she announced she was pregnant and then everything changed.”
Enough is Enough. Gender discrimination in the workplace is still at epidemic levels. It is shocking to see how common discrimination against pregnant women is in our ‘modern’ society.
While you may feel that you are powerless trying to fight against this type of outrageous behaviour, you are not alone. Employment Equality laws are there to protect you and punish bad employers. That’s a wonderful thing but it is too often ignored. It’s a fact that too many employers still pay lip service to women’s right in work and your employer or former employer, like so many others, may have decided to simply ignore those rights and basic entitlements.
But you don’t have to do this alone, Employment Matters can give you the platform to help make your voice heard by speaking out for you. Here’s what one of our clients said about her experience.
“After I told my boss I was pregnant, suddenly everything I did wasn’t good enough. Eventually I was told that there was to be a reorganisation and that my role was being made redundant. No-one else was affected. I felt so humiliated and undervalued. My confidence was totally destroyed that an employer had deemed me so disposable. It was mortifying. Six months later they hired a man to do the job I had been doing. Same job title, same responsibilities. I was simply discarded like an old sock.”
She felt like she was discarded like an old sock… that is how utterly devastated and useless she was made feel. Unfortunately, many women simply accept this as an unfortunate fact of life. It’s the way of the world and who are they to change it?
But, that’s not right, it’s not acceptable, and you shouldn’t have to tolerate it. Not least because it’s against the law. Going to work isn’t anyone’s favourite activity, but it shouldn’t be something that’s treated as an entitlement, at the gift of someone else and which can be taken away from you at a whim, simply because of your gender.
Often mothers returning to work after maternity leave will be faced with the unacceptable situations where their job has been changed dramatically, is no longer there for them in its previous form or worse that there’s no job at all to return to. Employers sometimes go so far as to dismiss an employee outright because of their pregnancy.
Another client of Employment Matters, Christine, was working as a care assistant in Waterford with a well-known Irish employment agency. During her time there she had always been well thought of and extremely busy. She could work upwards of 45 hours a week and there was never a shortage of work to go around. At least until Christine informed her employers of her pregnancy, that is. Then suddenly, Christine was surplus to requirement.
When Christine lodged her claim with the WRC her former employer vigorously fought their corner. The WRC awarded Christine €17,500 but most of all, Christine felt vindicated, she had had the courage to stand up to her former employer and to take back the power.
She said:
“I have never felt so let down and betrayed at such an important time in my life”. My hours were significantly reduced, and they ended up eventually drying up altogether. Nothing else had changed. My co-workers were still rushed off their feet and staff who had been recruited after me have continued to get full-time hours. It wasn’t about the money. When I was let go by my former employer simply because of my pregnancy I was just so devastated that someone could act like that and just wanted them to realise they can’t treat people in this way.”
All that had changed was that Christine was expecting a baby. Christine eventually resigned in frustration.
More and more women like Christine are coming forward. You see, the loss of your employment, like your pregnancy, is a life changing event. It happens at a time when you are vulnerable and you need support, not some jerk exploiting you. But you can redress the balance.
The actions you take now and the choices you make, will not only have a big impact on your own life, but could also affect how other women are treated in the future. The future is in your hands. You can choose to walk away and simply suffer your situation in silence or you can be proactive, stand up for yourself and take control of it.
To take control you need information and advice from an experienced and trusted advisor which will allow you to understand your rights and make informed decisions about how to proceed.
The dedicated team at Employment Matters have experience working on behalf of women in these situations. They have the legal expertise required to give you the best advice and are experienced at resolving these types of claims quickly and effectively – often without you having to face a drawn-out legal battle in the WRC. Employment Matters understand the emotional pressure and stress you are going through, and we can help ease the trauma of it all. Their aim is to work for you to achieve the best possible outcome so that you can move on with your life.
The service is confidential, discrete, and tailored to each client to fit their individual needs - Employment Matters will never disclose your information to others.
Don’t be silenced. For a limited time, they are offering a selected number of potential clients an opportunity to meet with one of their team for a free no obligation initial consultation to discuss the options available to you.
Due to high demand there are just 20 appointments available this month and they will fill up very quickly. Choosing the right team to represent you is key to your emotional and financial future so contact them today to see how we can help you chose the outcome you want.
For further information and to apply for a FREE CONSULTATION just complete the online form here, or you can call or email today on 1890 88 90 90 / email info@employment-matters.ie.
