Commission: Pregnant Saleswoman Forced to Leave Her Job, Discrimination Found

The Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination determined that a pregnant saleswoman was a victim of direct, intersectional discrimination after she informed her employers that she was pregnant.

The Commission found that the discrimination was based on sex, gender, health condition and personal status — pregnancy — and that it was carried out by spouses: the owner of a chain of boutiques and his wife, employed by him as an accountant and bookkeeper.

According to the complaint, the employee had a fixed‑term contract from 1 January to 31 December 2026. Previously she had worked as a saleswoman in one of the boutiques and had been offered to sign an employment contract for the whole year. After announcing that she was pregnant, she was told that they did not need her and pressures for forced dismissal began.

As stated in the report, on 7 February she first told the employer's wife; the first disciplinary complaint arrived on 9 February, the second on 11 February, and the third on 12 February, with threats that she sign a termination agreement. She did not sign it; from severe stress she became unwell, went to a doctor and was put on sick leave.

On 13 February the employer deregistered her, after previously unilaterally changing her contract from one year to only three months, and immediately advertised her position. The decision of the State Labor Inspectorate, with which she had reported the employer, annulled the unilateral change of the contract.

Recommendations and consequences

The Commission recommends that, within 30 days of receiving this opinion, the employer attempt an agreed compensation for the material and non‑material damage suffered by the dismissed pregnant employee, inform the Commission in writing of the actions taken and submit appropriate evidence. The Commission further advises the spouses — the owner/employer and the accountant — to apologize to the victim and to provide proof that they have done so.

Failure to comply with the recommendations will result in the discriminators being reported to the competent court. The Commission does not publish the identities of the parties in the proceedings.

The case is one of many the Commission faces: it previously found that a psychologist with a master's degree at a hospital in Struga was removed from her job after announcing that she was pregnant and, due to severe stress in the 27th week of pregnancy, lost her baby; other workers have reported dismissals after saying they were pregnant, or because of sick leave to care for a sick child; there have also been cases of interference with the right to breastfeed a nine‑month‑old baby by a supervisor and the commander of a border crossing.

Photo: SDK.MK)