'Meant to be a joke' | Worker loses case after boss said she was 'mad for having more kids'

A senior NHS manager told a female employee she was "mad for having more kids", an employment tribunal has heard. 

Ms Samina Ashraf, who worked as a deputy quality, patient safety, and commissioning manager for NHS England, brought a case against the organisation, alleging discrimination based on race, religion, and sex, as well as harassment and unfair treatment as a part-time worker.

The tribunal heard that David Marston, her line manager from December 2017 onwards, made the comment regarding her decision to have more children. The remark was one of several complaints raised by Ms Ashraf about Mr Marston’s behaviour towards her.

However, the tribunal ultimately dismissed her claims of discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment, with an employment judge actually deeming it to be “an inclusive comment” about the difficulties of parenting.