Dismissal of a pregnant employee – even if she is on a trial period – may be deemed a prohibited discrimination

An employee was terminated shortly before the end of her three months trial period, while she was pregnant.

The Labor Court accepted the claim and ordered the employer to compensate the employee. Israeli law states that terminating an employee due to pregnancy constitutes prohibited discrimination that entitles the employee to compensation. In this case, the employee was hired for a trial period of three months and was terminated shortly before the end of the trial period on the grounds that she was not suitable for the job, on the same day that her employer learned that she is pregnant. The reason for the dismissals was not the nature of her work but the fact that she was pregnant and this fact formed the basis of the considerations for her dismissal. In light of this, the employer is to compensate the employee.