Pregnant employee awarded £94K after "Jazz Hands" dismissal

A pregnant employee was awarded £94,000 in compensation after her employer notified her of her dismissal with a "jazz hands" emoji. Paula Miluska, an investment advisor at Birmingham-based Roman Property Group Limited, requested to work from home due to morning sickness caused by her pregnancy.

However, her employer, Ammar Kabir, terminated Miluska with an "ambiguous message" stating that the company was going through a "difficult period" and needed someone in the office. The message ended with "I hope to see you soon, we have a lot to talk about outside of work" and included a "jazz hands" emoji.

An employment tribunal ruled that Miluska was unfairly dismissed due to her pregnancy, awarding her £93,616 in compensation.

Miluska, who started working at Roman Property Group in March 2022 and discovered her pregnancy in October 2022, had requested to work from home due to her increasing morning sickness. She informed her employer in early December 2022, but Kabir responded by stating that work couldn't continue without her being in the office.

After receiving the message, Miluska responded, questioning why she was being fired despite her efforts to work from home and secure new clients while dealing with pregnancy-related illness. Judge Garry Smart ruled that the message objectively ended the employment relationship, confirming Miluska's dismissal was unjust and related to her pregnancy.