Pharmacist dismissed within weeks of disclosing pregnancy secures €50,000 compensation
A pharmacist has been awarded €50,000 in compensation after a tribunal found she was discriminated against following the disclosure of her pregnancy. The employer allegedly pressured her to accept a demotion and criticized her performance shortly after she announced she was expecting.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing challenges regarding workplace protections for pregnant employees and the legal consequences of pregnancy-based discrimination.
A pharmacist who said she was told to take a demotion or face dismissal within five weeks of disclosing her pregnancy at work has won €50,000 compensation for discrimination.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has directed Rose Finlay Pharmacy (Tullamore) Ltd to pay the sum to Dikeledi Nkele Mushapho, who lost her €100,000-a-year job there as supervising pharmacist last year.
Conor McCrave of Setanta Solicitors, for Mushapho, told a hearing earlier this month that his client experienced “a sharp decline” in how she was being treated at work after disclosing her pregnancy on Tuesday, February 18th, 2025.
The complainant gave evidence that she thought she was “working in a supportive environment” when she made the disclosure.
Since her appointment in November 2024, she said, “the numbers for the business were good and were rising” and there was positive feedback on her performance, she said.
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