A FORMER garage worker has won almost £20,000 after her boss disciplined her for being late due to morning sickness before she suffered a miscarriage.

An employment tribunal ruled Laura Herring was the victim of pregnancy discrimination.

The tribunal heard she missed the start of three shifts at Mount Hill Garage in Halstead where she worked from August 2017 to September 2018. She was given a verbal warning for lateness in February 2018.

She claimed in a text to her manager she was “struggling with the early morning” shifts due to morning sickness.

Managers at the garage are also said to have failed to consider the effects lifting heavy newspaper bundles and 16kg shrink wrapped milk bottle bundles.

In March 2018, Mrs Herring took time off with a sick note saying she was hospitalised due to “high blood pressure and proteinurea”.

In April, her baby was found to have died.

The tribunal heard she delivered her baby - who she and her husband named Harrison - and suffered further health complications.

Following her miscarriage, Mrs Herring was asked to provide medical information to find out her state of health and ability to return to work.

Details were sent to the garage via a letter from a specialist bereavement midwife.

It outlined Mrs Herring was “not fit for work” and said “if she can access counselling soon, she would be fit to return in the next four to six weeks”.

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However, the tribunal heard the garage asked for further medical information and further letters to Mrs Herring said “the company may have to take decisions concerning your continued employment” if she failed to return the required documentation.

Mrs Herring stated she felt she was being “harassed” for further information.

After a case review, which Mrs Herring did not attend, she was sacked on the grounds of continued absence through ill health.

Judge Gardiner added: “She was absent from work because of illness caused by the manner in which her pregnancy ended.

“She was dismissed not just because of the length of that illness and her resulting absence but also because she was reluctant to provide the respondent with further information from her GP or treating consultant as to the illness and its prognosis.

“Her reluctance was because she regarded the circumstances of her illness as particularly private.

“The reason for her dismissal was therefore connected to her pregnancy.”

The Gazette contacted Mount Hill Garage but it declined to comment on the tribunal findings.