Social worker sues for menopause discrimination in legal first | UK News

A social worker is suing her former employer for allegedly discriminating against her due to menopause symptoms.

Maria Rooney will claim at a tribunal this week that she was treated unfairly, harassed and victimised on the basis of disability and sex.

The lawsuit is a legal milestone because Ms Rooney is deemed to have been disabled as a result of her menopause combined with stress and anxiety symptoms.

It is the first employment tribunal involving such a case, according to the European Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which is supporting Ms Rooney’s case.

The 52-year-old took periods of extended sick leave from her job at Leicester City Council in 2017 and 2018.

She resigned in October 2018 after receiving a formal warning over the absences despite disclosing her symptoms, the EHRC says.

Ms Rooney claims she received unfavourable treatment and inappropriate comments over the issue.

She said: ‘I was a dedicated children’s social worker and I worked at Leicester City Council for 12 years but when I started suffering with work-related stress and anxiety and menopausal symptoms, nobody listened or helped me.

‘I felt let down and betrayed after working there for so long and I felt they had no compassion and understanding and awareness of the menopause.

‘When I received a formal warning for being off sick I felt that I had not been treated fairly so I tried to appeal my manager’s decision, but unfortunately my appeal was not upheld so I made the tough decision to resign from a job I loved after 12 years of loyal service.

‘I am very grateful that the EHRC is supporting my case now and hopefully my case will help other people who may be being discriminated against, harassed or victimised in their workplaces.’

Menopause symptoms can include severe anxiety, mood swings, memory problems, headaches, heart palpitations, skin problems and poor sleep.

Ms Rooney had been given an NHS health passport, which tells managers when an NHS worker has a condition they need to account for, with perimenopause listed on it.

The EHRC argues employers should make reasonable adjustments to support workers whose symptoms are so significant they amount to a disability.

The tribunal decided last year that Ms Rooney was disabled at all relevant times covered by her claim.

A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: ‘As the tribunal is due to start hearing this case this week, it would not be appropriate for us to comment at this time.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.