An ex-employee of Dolce & Gabbana has sued D & G products maker and distributor, Procter & Gamble Co., for allegedly firing her because she was pregnant, Tiffany Kantrowitz claimed that the company told her that a baby bump is not part of the uniform for the job.
Improper Treatment Of Employees
Kantrowitz, who has worked for the company for two years at their store at Saks Fifth Avenue, was reportedly not treated well when she informed the company that she was pregnant, court documents filed in Manhattan and cited by the New York Daily News said. It was also noted that she got sacked when she was "wrongfully accused" of stealing a tester from the shop.
The former employee also revealed that she dealt with a difficult pregnancy but her superiors made sure that she would suffer more. Kantrowitz said in the New York Daily News report that she was not allowed to sit while on shift and instructed to a distant break room to rest her feet.
Wrongful Termination
Reuters said she was eventually fired in February last year, after the time when she also requested to be allowed to sit when she deals with customers. Kantrowitz alleged that the company did not listen to her request instead deducted from her leave credits the number of times she would take a break.
"For (P&G), ever vigilant about the image of its makeup shop sales associates, pregnancy did not comport with the 'perfect look,'" the lawsuit read as per the same report. She also claimed that a supervisor told her that "pregnancy is not part of the uniform."
Taking Legal Matters Into Her Own Hands
Her legal action on the issue accuses her supervisors and the human resources department and charges Procter & Gamble Co. with human right violations and sex discrimination. New York Daily News said the action seeks damages in an undisclosed amount.
This issue has again highlighted pregnancy discrimination in the workforce. Reuters said the rights of pregnant women are not always protected by their employers.
