A B.C. mom saw some justice this week as she was awarded $11,000 from the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
Pauline Kooner-Rilcof says her employer, BNA Smart Payment Systems, fired her just 24 hours after she notified them that she was pregnant and would be taking maternity leave in the coming months.
Her employer claimed the timing of the firing was just coincidental, but the Human Rights Tribunal obviously didn’t buy that. Instead, they sided with Ms. Kooner-Rilcof and awarded her damages for emotional injuries and outstanding salary she was owed.
While it can be counted a victory for working moms, the seeming egregiousness of the case should elicit higher damages. Just a little over $10,000 is a drop in the bucket for a big company, and if this case sets a precedent, employers could potentially just factor in that as a cost to do business.
