Woman alleging menopause discrimination will be heard by employment tribunal

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The case of a woman who was allegedly discriminated against due to suffering menopause symptoms will be heard by an employment tribunal this week in a legal first.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR), which is supporting Maria Rooney’s case, said she was suffering from menopause symptoms, anxiety and depression when she took periods of extended sickness leave from her job as a social worker for Leicester City Council in 2017 and 2018.The commission said the now 52-year-old received a formal warning over her absences despite her disclosing her symptoms and resigned in October 2018 after she claimed she received unfavourable treatment and inappropriate comments over the issue.From Monday, a Leicester employment tribunal will hear Ms Rooney’s case, which is expected to last 16 days and centres around claims she was discriminated against, harassed and victimised by her employer on the grounds of disability and sex.It is the first case involving an employment tribunal where menopause symptoms are deemed to amount to a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act, the EHRC said.Ms Rooney 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.”According to the NHS website, menopause symptoms can