A recruitment consultant who returned from maternity leave to find her office abandoned has been awarded more than £25,000 by an employment tribunal in a ruling that highlights the legal and ethical responsibilities employers must uphold for returning parents.
Maternity Leave Agreement Ignored
Anna Munkevics, formerly employed by Echo Personnel Ltd in Hereford, had been working as a trainee recruitment consultant since March 2021. She went on maternity leave in April 2022 after informing her employer of her pregnancy the previous September.
Before her return, she had agreed with her line manager to come back part-time—two days a week, four hours a day—gradually transitioning to full-time hours. This arrangement was verbally approved by management, and Munkevics arranged childcare based on this schedule.
Return to Work Plans Abruptly Revoked
In March 2023, Munkevics was informed by Echo Personnel’s finance director, Jennie Alexander, that the part-time arrangement would no longer be honored. She was told she would need to return full-time, despite her preparations and childcare commitments.
Shortly after this unexpected change, Munkevics resigned, stating she felt misled and unsupported. The final blow came when she turned up in May 2023 to work her notice period—only to find the Hereford office had been permanently closed without any notice or communication.
Office Closure Leaves Employee in the Dark
The closure of the Hereford office wasn’t just unexpected—it was completely unannounced. Munkevics arrived to find the building vacant, with local bakery staff informing her that a removals van had taken all office contents just days earlier.
No one from Echo Personnel had reached out to explain the closure, provide new working instructions, or even acknowledge the relocation. The tribunal heard that the company had access to a mobile recruitment van used for temporary workspaces during renovations, yet failed to offer this as an alternative.
Judge Jonathan Gidney expressed disbelief that no efforts were made to notify Munkevics of the move, especially before the end of her protected maternity leave. He concluded that this failure was directly linked to her recent rejection of a full-time schedule and her pregnancy.
Tribunal Rules in Her Favour
The Birmingham tribunal found that the failure to honor the agreed return-to-work plan, combined with the lack of communication about the office closure, constituted pregnancy and maternity discrimination, as well as constructive and automatic unfair dismissal.
Judge Gidney said there was “no reasonable and proper cause” for the revocation of her part-time hours and that Echo Personnel’s conduct had seriously breached the mutual trust expected in an employment relationship.
Unequal Pay Revealed
The tribunal also found that while Munkevics was on leave, her role had been covered by a male colleague earning £25,000—significantly more than her own £21,250 salary. Given that the roles involved “like work,” the judge upheld her claim for equal pay.
£25K Award Breakdown
Echo Personnel was ordered to pay Munkevics a total of £25,109.92, including:
- £961.54 as a basic award
- £794.96 in damages for wrongful dismissal
- £9,575.45 in compensatory awards
- £13,777.97 for injury to feelings and interest
An additional 10% uplift was applied due to the company’s failure to follow statutory grievance procedures.
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