Worker sacked over adoption wins tribunal

A woman sacked from the car rental company she worked for has won a sex discrimination employment tribunal.

Anna Columbeau, who worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car (UK), was fired as a result of plans to adopt a child and take leave to do so.

A tribunal ruled that the car rental company was guilty of gender discrimination and wrongful dismissal after it was found that Ms Columbeau had been sacked because of "genuine but minor" errors for which male colleagues were not so harshly disciplined.

The 24-year-old was dismissed by her boss having been told that her plans to adopt were "no bloody use" to the company and said she had previously received positive appraisals from managers at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Nottingham.

Ms Columbeau told the tribunal in Nottingham that she had taken time off as holiday leave to attend pre-adoption courses, but had been accused of dishonesty and incompetence when she returned and was eventually fired for gross misconduct in November 2005.

Having been awarded an undisclosed amount by the tribunal, Ms Columbeau plans to donate the sum, minus legal costs, to adoption charities.

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Date:07/03/2007 09:25:14