Is this Maternity Discrimination?

motorguy

theoretica wrote: »

If that was the reason for not getting a permanent promotion, rather than just during the maternity period, it looks to me exactly like discrimination. Text book, practically.

+1

Wholly agree.

Nothanks

Sounds like an old fashioned financial markets business to me. Or a middle office function of one.

People don't get promoted into specific roles they just have annual panels where associates can be upgraded to VP or associate director and then the work they're assigned is nominally more complex. Being promoted means making the right people vouch for you. Jobs for the boys.

If this is the case an ET claim imo would be utterly fruitless as it's your word against the company's that your project, results and behaviours were better than person A.

Likewise, HR will suffer a similar problem.

This is why old fashioned businesses need to unionise.

Malthusian

Nothanks wrote: »

This is why old fashioned businesses need to unionise.

Or, instead of wasting her time trying to get people to join a union and launch a career in the Labour Party, the OP could apply for similar jobs to the one she wanted outside her current company.

If that's unrealistic, it's difficult to see how a discrimination claim would succeed as her employer will say that the reasons she can't get a higher-level job outside the company are the reasons she didn't get the higher-level job within it.

sangie595

It's really easy, this one. It's all irrelevant! IF discrimination took place, and I'm not seeing any real evidence to say that it did (although that doesn't mean it didn't, just that the evidence isn't there) it happened over a year ago. Too late to complain about it now.

Right at this minute the OP had nothing more than they don't like their new manager, neither do some of her colleagues, and he's not willing to promote her. Well he isn't required to promote her. Or recommend her for promotion. That isn't unlawful or discrimination. And if she and her colleagues don't like their new manager, they know what they can do - get another job.

Sorry, but that's the fact. Having gone to HR now, she might get some vague promises. But she's also marked her card over nothing at all. HR are not on an employee's side. They exist to protect the employer. They might make meaningful noises to placate her, but in actual fact the stronger likelihood is that they will now make sure that the manager knows how to ensure she gets nowhere, but without providing her any evidence of a case.

How often does it need to be said - if you want an ally, it's a union, not HR.

ReadingTim

Sounds like the OP's also coming up against US employment practises/attitudes - anyone who thinks UK employees have it bad should find out how few rights US workers have (not forgetting that their healthcare is largely employment-dependent too) before complaining too bitterly about how hard done by we are in this country - we're a positive paradise compared to how things are over the pond...