Morrisons considering appealing Wetherby mum's £60k tribunal win over maternity discrimination and unfair dismissal

Mother-of-two Donna Patterson, 38, from Wetherby, took on the Bradford-based company by herself last month and was awarded over £60,000 after it was unanimously agreed that she had been unfairly treated while on maternity leave and subjected to sex discrimination.

Ms Patterson told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she had her role changed while on maternity leave and then was “gas lighted” and made to work full-time upon her return despite being on a part-time contract.

Ms Patterson’s mental health deteriorated and after going on leave due to stress, she undertook a grievance process with the company. However, when her concerns were rejected she left and took legal action.

Ms Patterson represented herself during the “gruelling” five-day tribunal in Leeds after being told that her chances of success were minimal and due to extensive costs being requested by law firms.

During the tribunal it was heard that Morrisons had planned to demote her when she was pregnant, which sent the judge “ballistic”.

Describing her reaction when the unanimous verdict was announced on October 21, she said: “I just sat there and tears streamed down my face. Just from the sheer relief that it was worth it – worth all of the stress, all of the effort and worth everybody saying ‘why not just walk away and move on’.”

Morrisons has since responded to the story, which has received national attention and seen Ms Patterson compared to Erin Brockovich in the US, who was working as a paralegal when she took on Pacific Gas and Electric and secured a $333m settlement for families in her town that were getting sick in the same area. The case was turned into a film starring Julia Roberts in 2000.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “The happiness and wellbeing of our colleagues is a fundamental part of our culture and welcoming mothers back from maternity leave in a thoughtful, consensual and decent way is incredibly important to us.

"However, we don’t accept that we acted in an unfair way in this case and believe a number of the facts have been misrepresented and we are considering an appeal.”