Young mum loses claim of sex discrimination (From Western Telegraph)

Young mum loses claim of sex discrimination

A YOUNG MUM claimed she was forced to quit her job after attempts to secure 'child friendly' hours failed. But, this week, her former employer, Pembrokeshire County Council, was vindicated when an employment tribunal ruled the authority had not sexually discriminated against lifeguard Heidi Rourke.

On the day the Equal Opportunities Commission announced it was commissioning a report investigating the extent of discrimination against pregnant working women, 24-year-old Miss Rourke spoke of her struggle to combine motherhood with work.

She had been a lifeguard at Narberth swimming pool for nearly seven years. Some of her shifts started at 7.30am and others ended at 9.30pm.

After giving birth to her son, Zachary, last September she requested 'child friendly' hours, suggesting unsociable shift patterns would disrupt her baby's sleeping patterns. She resigned in March after failing to secure the hours she had demanded.

On Monday, Miss Rourke, of 6 Meadow View, Robeston West, near Tiers Cross, faced her former boss, Jennifer Price, at an employment tribunal in Carmarthen, where she claimed indirect sexual discrimination and constructive unfair dismissal.

Pool manager Mrs Price, a mother herself, was upset by the accusations. "If there had been hours available in the day for Heidi she could have had them. The fact is there wasn't,'' she said.

Miss Rourke wanted fixed, daytime shifts. Pembrokeshire County Council insisted she was offered the option of two fixed shifts even though, as Mrs Price pointed out: "Unsociable hours are to be expected in the leisure industry, it is the nature of the job. Heidi wasn't the only member of staff with family commitments, but everything was done to accommodate her request.''

Dismissing the claims, tribunal chairman Claire Collier ruled there had been no discrimination and Miss Rourke's contract had not been breached.