£29k payout | Pregnant manager told by boss 'you had a baby at the wrong time'

A senior marketing manager has won nearly £30,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled that her employer discriminated against her during and after her pregnancy, including comments from a boss that she “had a baby at the wrong time.”

A panel found that the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) discriminated against Hannah Yongo by failing to adequately support her during a key transitional period in her role, resulting in unfavourable treatment linked to her maternity leave.

Pregnancy discrimination claims

Ms Yongo, who joined the ACCA as a marketing manager in 2019, alleged that she faced discriminatory treatment after disclosing her pregnancy. Among the incidents upheld by the tribunal was a remark made by her manager, Nick Jervis, during a conversation in March 2022. 

According to the tribunal, Mr Jervis told Ms Yongo, “You had a baby at the wrong time.” According to the tribunal, the comment was made during a conversation relating to a restructure in the workplace, and at a time when Ms Yongo was expressing concerns about the new social lead role and what this would mean in terms of her own role.