'Unsafe, humiliated': IKEA worker sues for pregnancy discrimination

The complaint, filed in the Federal Court, is just the latest case in a growing trend of pregnant women claiming to have been fired, demoted or bullied in the workplace.

The complaint, filed in the Federal Court, is just the latest case in a growing trend of pregnant women claiming to have been fired, demoted or bullied in the workplace.

A former IKEA employee is suing the retail behemoth for harassment, bullying and unfair dismissal, claiming she was forced by her boss to disclose her pregnancy, and sacked after formally reporting the incident.

Sarah Samuels, employed with IKEA as a Facilities Manager from 2014, filed a wrongful termination suit with the Federal Court last week, in which she said she was abused, intimidated and discriminated against on the basis of her pregnancy.

In the filing, Samuels claimed her direct manager pressured her to reveal her pregnancy in March 2020. Following this, Samuels was required to copy her boss into any correspondence with an external party to her Canberra worksite, and vet any phone calls, which she said made her feel distrusted, unsafe, humiliated and distressed.

Picture: Getty Images.

Last December, Samuels made a formal complaint about the “pregnancy discrimination”, and in January IKEA human resources launched an investigation.

The investigation concluded in April but Samuels, dissatisfied, made a further complaint about the “abuse and intimidation” she faced throughout her employment, and the company’s “failure to respond meaningfully” to her original grievance.

On May 19, Samuels was informed her role would be made redundant “as a consequence of a restructure decision” made at IKEA, and no alternative positions were offered to her. But two months later Samuels became aware that a nearly-identical role to her position was re-advertised without her knowledge. Her employment was terminated in August.

IKEA did not respond to The Oz’s request for comment. Samuels did not wish to comment.

This is the latest case in a growing trend of pregnant women claiming to have been fired, demoted or bullied in the workplace, despite laws prohibiting discrimination.

Monash University this year released a report revealing a 17% increase in pregnancy discrimination calls made to employment legal service Job Watch in 2020-2021, compared to the year prior.

Monash University associate professor Dominique Allen said women don’t wish to “rock the boat” in claiming their entitled benefits when pregnant.

“Pregnant women have other things on their mind, and they don’t want to rock the boat because if they raise the issue they’re having and they end up terminated then they don’t have a job or potentially parental leave,” she said.

“When they come back from parental leave and want to ask for flexible work arrangements, they don’t want to have been the one to cause problems while they were pregnant and be unable to access those benefits.”

JobWatch Executive Director Zana Bytheway said awareness was key to stopping pregnancy discrimination.

“Women need to have a greater awareness of their employment rights while they are pregnant,” she said.

“There’s an expectation of our society that women have no rights when it comes to pregnancy and related discrimination, but that’s not true.

“And unfortunately employers don’t understand their obligations. They are clunky, they are unaware about process and they end up causing discrimination and harm to the women.”

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