I recently read an article 'I was forced from my job for giving birth' and I was so enraged at the level of discrimination women still face in the workplace due to pregnancy and maternity rights. I have three children and have been made redundant twice, once while on maternity leave (with my first child) and the other was a horrendous redundancy process which latest the entirety of the third pregnancy. As you would expect It was a very stressful time.
I have been made redundant twice due to pregnancy and maternity related issues.
During this process, my Doctor, concerned for my mental and physical health, put me on stress leave, and while on stress leave I received a barrage communication from my employer asking me to attend redundancy consultation meetings. Even stating they would start the process without me even being present.
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On my return to work after my stress leave, (approximately 6 months pregnant) I was ignored by my manager. At 8 1/2 months pregnant I had to attend an onsite meeting with the European HR Director to review the situation. But possibly the worse behaviour (my employer had been informed on several occasions of my due date) was being invited to attend a final consultation process meeting the day before my baby was being born by C-Section.
I then had no option but to go to the Doctor to get an unfit for work certificate, the Doctor outraged, supplied me with a certificate,
"Unfit for work because the patient is 40 weeks pregnant".
This is just a sample of the unacceptable behaviour I encountered during this 8-month redundancy process. It was without a doubt the most stressful experience of my life, it affected my entire family and without the support of my husband, parents, extended family and my friends I would have struggled to have coped.
It angers me women are still facing these quite frankly illegal and disgusting behaviours.
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