Engineer settles alleged sex discrimination case against former employer

Q Newsdesk

An engineer has settled a case against her former employer for £5,000 after claiming she was discriminated against because of her sex.

Amy Verner alleged she was treated less favourably by colleagues at Grants Electrical Services NI, saying many believed she would soon be pregnant.

On returning to work after her marriage, Amy alleged she was given more computer and office-based work than before.

When she raised concerns with her employer last year, she felt the matter wasn't taken seriously, saying she had no option but to find work elsewhere:

The case was supported by the Equality Commission and was settled without liability.

Commenting on the case, Anne McKernan, Director of Legal of Services, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said:

“Amy’s experiences highlight the need for all employers to take their employees concerns seriously and to have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with issues raised. They must not make assumptions about their female employees and subsequently treat them less favourably than their male counterparts.

“Women are an essential part of building our economy and currently women are persistently underrepresented across the STEM industries in Northern Ireland. It is important that skilled, knowledgeable and experienced women are encouraged to build a career in our STEM industries”, concluded Anne McKernan.

As part of the settlement terms Grants Electrical Services (NI) Limited has affirmed its commitment to the principle of equality of opportunity in the workplace and has agreed to meet with the Commission to review its policies, practices and procedures.