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Media manager who said boss turned 'hostile' when she became pregnant wins €35k
Summary
Emma Hughes, a social media manager at Dash Container Café, claimed that her employer, Martin McCaffrey, became hostile after she announced her pregnancy in August 2022. She said he criticised her work, ignored her content, and pressured her to continue working during maternity leave. Hughes also alleged that McCaffrey moved a planned event date, criticised her for taking leave, and failed to arrange a replacement. She filed grievances during her leave, resigned in June 2024, and brought a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998. The WRC adjudicator found no rebuttal from the employer and concluded that Hughes faced gender‑based discrimination linked to her pregnancy. The tribunal awarded her €35,000, equivalent to a year's gross salary, as non‑remuneration‑based compensation for the adverse treatment she endured.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Media manager who said boss turned 'hostile' when she became pregnant wins €35k. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- August 2022 Other
- November 2023 Other
- August 2024 Other
- September 2022 Other
- November 2022 Other
- February 2024 Other
- May 2024 Other
- June 26th Other
- 2024-12-03 Publication
Why: Ms Hughes, who represented herself before the tribunal at hearings in November 2023 and August 2024, explained that her job was to create "exciting and diverse" content for the company's social media. CNI source report
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