A pharmacist in Ireland has been awarded €50,000 in compensation after being “discriminatorily dismissed” from her role as a supervising pharmacist within weeks of announcing her pregnancy.
According to a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), published this month, Dikeledi Nkele Mushapho began working at Rose Finlay Pharmacy in Tullamore in November 2024, and had been enjoying “a good working environment with her employer over what was a busy Christmas period”.
The WRC heard that in February 2025, after Mushapho disclosed her pregnancy to her employer, there was a “rapid shift in her treatment” at work, characterised by “increased micromanagement and scrutiny” and complaints being made against her.
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Mushapho “was not informed” of complaints and was not “allowed to provide reasonable responses to the allegations made against her”, it said.
It also noted that Mushapho was “threatened with dismissal if she did not accept a demotion which would have resulted in a significant loss of income”, and was “subsequently dismissed” when she did not accept.
The dismissal, issued with “only four weeks’ notice and no due process”, came around five weeks after Mushapho first disclosed her pregnancy, the WRC heard.
“Emotionally distressed”
Mushapho submitted that “prior to disclosing her pregnancy, no concerns were raised about her performance and her experience in the role had been entirely positive”.
And she added that the “speed and nature of her dismissal and the hostile environment created after her disclosure left her emotionally distressed and mentally exhausted”.
Mushapho told the WRC that the appeals process outlined in her employee handbook - which said appeals should be made to the floor manager or supervising pharmacist - was “impossible” to engage with, as the floor manager was on maternity leave and Mushapho herself was the supervising pharmacist.
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“The only individual available to receive the appeal was the same person who issued the dismissal,” the WRC heard, while the dismissal letter told Mushapho to appeal to “an unnamed person simply referred to as ‘X’ within five days”.
It also heard that the employer “failed to follow any formal disciplinary process with any performance concerns” and that “the exact reason for dismissal was not stated in the dismissal letter”.
Rose Finlay Pharmacy’s representative did not attend the hearing of the case.
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WRC adjudication officer Conor Stokes found that Mushapho “was discriminatorily dismissed on the ground of her pregnancy” and awarded her €50,000, approximately half a year’s wages, in compensation.
C+D approached Rose Finlay Pharmacy for comment.
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It follows a pharmacy worker winning compensation last month after an employment tribunal found that her former employer had dismissed her “without notice” and had made an “unlawful deduction of wages”.
And it comes after a pharmacy paid out £500 for failing to complete “necessary clinical checks” before dispensing an “inappropriately prescribed” vaginal pessary for a five-year-old.
