A new mum sacked after telling her employers she was pregnant is still fighting for her compensation payout a year on.
Bethany Braid, 29, agreed to accept a £5,000 out-of-court settlement after she was told to leave her position as medical secretary when she fell pregnant – flouting employment laws.
The young mum now says she has still not received payment from the agreement with Weelsby Medical Centre, Grimsby, North East Lincs.
Ms Braid joined Dr Ehab Amin’s practice in November 2013 and became pregnant three months later.
Despite making an assurance that she intended to return to work after maternity leave, Bethany said she was told her contract would not continue and she had to leave.
In October last year an out-of-court settlement was reached, with a figure of £5,000 to be paid.
But Bethany said that not a single penny has been given to her.
She is now seeking a charging order through the courts.
The young mum said: “This whole process has cost me more than £2,000. It’s ridiculous.”
The mother was told to leave her job the day after informing them she was pregnant.
Bethany said: “I had told them I would come back after maternity but I believe they did not want to give me the training for me to then leave.”
She sought advice from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service ACAS, and a court hearing was due to be held last October.
It was agreed by the doctor that she should be paid £5,000 over five instalments.
Bethany previously worked as a receptionist for more than a year-and-a-half at the Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital’s out-of-hours GP service.
She now has a 16 month-old baby girl, Lois, and is still awaiting a response from the surgery.
She said: “I accepted the offer because I just wanted the whole thing to be over.
“I am angry and have lost sleep over the stress of it all. It has put me off working in a doctor’s environment again.
“I need to be happy for the sake of the baby and enjoying myself . But it is like a big black cloud over my head.”
A spokeswoman at Medi-Access said: “Dr Amin utterly refuses to pay Ms Bethany Braid because she has invalidated the settlement terms by breaching the confidentiality agreement.
“She is, of course, free to pursue her grievances through the courts as she publicly says if she wishes so.”
