Indirect Sex Discrimination: The Employment Tribunal awarded £60k to a part-time Morrison’s worker who was ‘gas-lighted’ into full-time hours.

Donna Patterson worked as a buyer in the Morrisons’ supermarket online business in Bradford. Whilst on maternity leave, her role was changed to fulfil the responsibilities of a full-time job, and upon her return, she was pressured to work longer hours, beyond what was stipulated in her contract.

Ms Patterson was told she could do the job in her allotted hours, with one of her managers telling her to “prioritise things a bit better and get your head in the right place and get your mindset right”.

During this period, Ms Patterson’s mental health deteriorated, and she took sick leave due to stress. She raised a grievance and went through the company’s internal process, but her concerns were rejected. She stated that the process “just totally failed me”. Ms Patterson then resigned and brought a claim for Constructive Dismissal and Indirect sex and maternity discrimination before the Employment Tribunal.

Employment Judge Jones ruled in Ms Patterson’s favour and concluded that she was unfavourably treated and that Morrisons had subjected her to a “detriment of indirect sex discrimination after her maternity leave.” The behaviour was described in the tribunal as ‘gas-lighting’ and she was awarded over £60,000 including £10,000 for injury to feelings. 

This case should serve as a reminder of how important it is for employers to be extremely careful in the way that they handle grievances and treat their pregnant employees and mothers who just returned from maternity leave.

If you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of employment law, please contact our employment team.