A mother who sued one of world's largest law firms in November 2017 for losing her job has won a legal battle against it after they axed her job while on maternity leave and then reportedly destroying the evidence, the Times has reported.
Tearful Bina Hale, 37, had told a sex discrimination employment tribunal of the treatment she received from her bosses at Dentons in Milton Keynes. The tribunal was also told how handwritten bullet points from the discussion about her future had since been shredded.
However her Human resources manager Suzanne Barnes allegedly claimed she only destroyed the notes because she liked to work in a paperless office. The line manager Emma Rowe was rebuffed by the judge after allegedly producing a single piece of white paper at the tribunal which she claimed was from the notebook she used to make notes in the meeting. The judge is then said to have reportedly blasted the firm for a 'lack of honesty and credibility' and for 'failing to keep notes', giving an impression that somewthing 'was hidden' or 'deliberately fudged'.
The Times reported that in a written conclusion, Martin Warren, the tribunal judge said, “We therefore find that whilst there was a genuine redundancy situation, the principal reason that Mrs Hale was selected and therefore dismissed was that she had been absent from work on maternity leave...it was convenient to dismiss her.” He added: “We think that Ms Barnes and Mrs Rowe decided at an early stage that the easiest option was to make Mrs Hale redundant, because she was away on maternity leave and that would cause less disruption.”
After the hearing, Mrs Hale said women should not be afraid of confronting discrimination.
She told The Times, "I strongly urge women who have been subject to similar treatment to seek justice and speak out and stop such employers taking advantage of women at a very vulnerable phase of their lives, regardless of who the employer is. Do not be afraid.”
A payout will be decided at a future hearing.
