£28k payout | HR worker was ordered to clean toilets after returning from maternity leave

An HR worker who was ordered to clean toilets after returning from maternity leave has been awarded more than £28,000 at an employment tribunal.

Sabbah Messum, an HR assistant at Bradford Management Services was left ‘degraded’ and ‘humiliated’ after finding herself demoted to housekeeping duties, accused of theft and subjected to a 'discriminatory regime' which penalised pregnant workers by creating a 'hostile' and 'intimidating' environment for them, the proceedings heard.

The 38-year-old mum-of-three represented herself at the employment tribunal hearing, and has been awarded more than £28,100 after the panel ruled she was subjected to a 'discriminatory regime' which penalised pregnant workers by creating a 'hostile' and 'intimidating' environment.

According to the proceedings, Messum began working at the Leeds-based firm in 2019. When she notified her employers later that year she was pregnant and would be taking maternity leave, her boss Dr Gul Nawaz Akbar reportedly became hostile, often shouting at Messum frequently and assigning her physically demanding tasks.