November 18, 2015
The Hiroshima High Court on November 17 issued a ruling recognizing a female hospital worker’s demotion due to her pregnancy as “maternity harassment” and ordered the hospital to pay her about 1.75 million yen in compensation.
In 2008, the woman working at a Hiroshima hospital as a physical therapist asked her employer to assign her light duty after getting pregnant, but was demoted from her supervisory position. She initiated a legal battle, claiming that the hospital demoted her in violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act for Men and Women banning so-called “maternity harassment”, discriminatory treatment against a woman worker when pregnant or after giving birth.
In the legal battle, the Supreme Court sent back the case to the high court after its epoch-making decision in October 2014 that demotion on the grounds of pregnancy and childbirth violates the law if it is carried out without the worker’s clear consent or a vailid business reason. The high court this time overturned its previous ruling.
Past related article:
> Top court ruling is a big step forward: ‘maternity harassment’ victims’ group [October 24&25, 2014]
In 2008, the woman working at a Hiroshima hospital as a physical therapist asked her employer to assign her light duty after getting pregnant, but was demoted from her supervisory position. She initiated a legal battle, claiming that the hospital demoted her in violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act for Men and Women banning so-called “maternity harassment”, discriminatory treatment against a woman worker when pregnant or after giving birth.
In the legal battle, the Supreme Court sent back the case to the high court after its epoch-making decision in October 2014 that demotion on the grounds of pregnancy and childbirth violates the law if it is carried out without the worker’s clear consent or a vailid business reason. The high court this time overturned its previous ruling.
Past related article:
> Top court ruling is a big step forward: ‘maternity harassment’ victims’ group [October 24&25, 2014]
