⚠️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻?
𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆… 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴?
She didn’t expect special treatment.
Just a bit of support.
But instead,
She was dismissed.
While pregnant.
By one of the UK’s biggest retailers.
She was six weeks into a bakery role at M&S.
She had a known back condition.
They agreed - no lifting over 5kg.
Then she transferred stores.
No one briefed the new manager.
Suddenly she was lifting heavy trays.
She told them she was struggling.
Told them she was pregnant.
And the response?
“You’re not suitable.”
Dismissed on the spot.
No alternative offered.
No paperwork.
No thought.
The Tribunal didn’t hold back:
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹.
Last week, I strained my back lifting camera gear and lights across the room.
(If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen the behind-the-scenes - I film videos like this to help employers get it right.)
And I thought...
If I’m doing that with full knowledge of the risk -
What happens to women in lower-paid jobs, under pressure, afraid to speak up?
What happens when managers don’t stop to ask, “should you be lifting that?”
This is what we expect pregnant women to do in silence.
Keep going. Keep proving. Keep pushing through pain.
And it’s not just a health and safety issue.
It’s a leadership issue.
Here’s what should have happened at M&S:
↳ A risk assessment the moment pregnancy was disclosed
↳ Clear documentation of duties and support
↳ Adjustments to her role, lighter work or temporary redeployment
↳ Legal advice before making any decision
↳ Treat pregnancy like the protected characteristic it is - not a problem to fix
✔️ That’s what legal compliance looks like
✔️ That’s what ethical leadership looks like
Most employers don’t mean to get it wrong.
But without structure and confidence, your team will fall back on fear.
We don’t let that happen.
We train managers to lead with clarity, compassion and legal confidence -
Especially around women’s health and rights in the workplace.
If a pregnant employee came to you tomorrow, would you or your managers know what to say?
Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more.
