Equality watchdog brings pregnancy discrimination case to District Court

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has filed legal proceedings in the District Court on behalf of a woman who alleges that her former employer engaged in unlawful pregnancy discrimination and victimization, the commission announced on Tuesday.

The lawsuit was brought under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance. According to the watchdog, the claim concerns alleged discriminatory treatment and subsequent dismissal linked to the woman’s pregnancy.

The respondent is an asset management company. During more than seven years of employment with the firm, the claimant’s work performance was consistently rated as satisfactory. She was promoted from compliance manager to head of compliance and received salary increases over the years.

The EOC said that after the claimant took maternity leave in 2022, the company substantially reduced her annual discretionary bonus for that year. The claimant believed the reduction amounted to discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy.

The case further alleges that the claimant was dismissed about three weeks after she informed the company that she had lodged a pregnancy discrimination complaint with the EOC. Given the close timing between the employer becoming aware of the complaint and her dismissal, the claimant believed she was victimized for having made the complaint.

By bringing the case to court, the EOC said it hopes to enhance public understanding of the rights afforded to pregnant employees under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and to remind employers that pregnancy discrimination and victimization are unlawful and may carry serious legal consequences.

The commission noted that pregnancy discrimination remains one of the most common types of complaints it receives.

Between 2022 and 2024, the EOC handled 227 pregnancy discrimination complaints, accounting for about 20 percent of all complaints received under the ordinance. More than 90 percent of those cases arose in the employment context, the commission said.