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A Brisbane-based childcare worker was allegedly back-flipped on by her new employer just days after signing her contract when they discovered that she was pregnant.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn is representing an HR manager who was allegedly sacked from her new role at major employer Busy Bees just one hour after notifying them of her pregnancy.
As reported by The Australian Financial Review, after just signing her contract to begin the role as senior HR business partner, the childcare centre told their employee, “It’s not going to work out”, after she discovered she was pregnant.
The HR manager was quickly onboarded into the role, just 10 days after responding to the job ad, signing the contract on 10 April, where she was persuaded by her new employer to shorten her notice period from three months to one, highlighting their enthusiasm for her to start.
Despite this previously held zest for the HR manager, when she provided her new employer with the information about her pregnancy, and her need for six months’ parental leave at the conclusion of the year, it is alleged that the employer claimed the timing was “not ideal”.
Needing to “mull it over” for a day, the employer came back to the HR manager and allegedly said, “Sorry mate, it’s not going to work out”, due to important business inquiries being carried out at the same time as the HR manager’s scheduled parental leave.
“I really tried to see how I could make it work, but it just won’t,” said a manager at Busy Bees, according to the Financial Review.
The HR manager offered numerous pathways to her new employer to mitigate the potential disruption of the parental leave, claiming she would work hard, take a more junior position, and recruit a friend or qualified replacement for her leave period. However, these allegedly fell on deaf ears.
Forced to get her old job back, the HR manager is now set to file a pregnancy discrimination case with the help of Maurice Blackburn, through the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
Speaking on the case, Patrick Turner, principal of employment and industrial law at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said the firm was “proud” to stand with the HR manager.
“A company that profits from parenthood shouldn’t be tearing up employment contracts with pregnant employees,” said Turner.
In a client statement given to HR Leader, the HR manager herself claimed the job withdrawal was “devastating” and sends a negative message to the mothers electing to enrol their children in care of Busy Bees.
“To have a job offer withdrawn simply because I told them I was pregnant was devastating. I was looking forward to working in the childcare sector,” the HR manager said.
“What sort of message does this send to the thousands of mothers who place their children in the care of this company because they have to work?
“This is 2025. No professional, or any other female employee, should put up with this. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t push back against them.”
Turner touched on the patterned occurrence of pregnant workers facing discriminatory practices when it comes to leadership positions, promotions, or employment in the modern-day workplace.
“Too many women who are the best candidates for the role or for a promotion, or for a leadership position are thrown onto the scrap heap once they announce pregnancy,” Turner said.
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When a company terminates an employee's job for improper or illegitimate reasons, it is known as an unfair dismissal.
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
