A UK woman, Paula Miluska, was fired after requesting to work from home due to severe pregnancy-related illness. She was an investment consultant at Roman Property Group Limited in Birmingham. Her employer, Ammar Kabir, ended the employment relationship via text, citing company struggles and adding a “jazz hands” emoji at the end, which was seen as insensitive.
Paula had informed Ammar of her pregnancy in October 2022. By November, she was struggling with extreme morning sickness, which made it difficult for her to work in the office. After feeling unwell and leaving early one day, she requested to work from home. She also mentioned that a health and safety assessment had been suggested by her midwife.
On November 26, Ammar checked in on her health, and Paula shared that the sickness was making her feel miserable. The next day, Ammar inquired if she could work a few days the following week, with an early finish of 4 PM. Paula explained that she had been sick multiple times that day and may need hospitalization, so she couldn’t work.
On December 1, Ammar sent a message stating the company needed someone in the office and that they were “struggling.” He reassured Paula that it was “nothing personal” and mentioned exploring other job opportunities. The message ended with, “Hope to see you soon. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do outside of work [jazz hands emoji].” Paula, feeling confused and distressed, replied, “I’m confused with what’s going on. I’ve been working remotely as agreed since I told you I was pregnant… and now you’re firing me?”
The employment tribunal ruled that the text message from Ammar clearly ended Paula’s employment. The tribunal found that the dismissal was linked to her pregnancy, making it unlawful. Judge Garry Smart stated, “It is objectively clear that this text message brought the employment relationship to an end.”
As a result, Paula was awarded £94,000 (about 1 crore INR) in compensation for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal.
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