// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Woman awarded £20k in indirect sex discrimination case against hotel
Anna Owens was awarded almost £20,500 after bringing a case for indirect sex discrimination
A woman who worked as a receptionist at a County Fermanagh hotel has been awarded almost £20,500 after bringing an indirect sex discrimination case.
Anna Owens had agreed a fixed three-day working week at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen that enabled her to balance her work with childcare.
But she said she felt "betrayed and deflated" when the arrangements she had verbally agreed before starting work were changed by a new manager.
An industrial tribunal found that this working pattern formed part of her contract of employment. In a statement, the hotel said it was "genuinely sorry" that Owens' "employment with us ended as it did".
The tribunal heard she worked the agreed days for more than 18 months with occasional changes, when enough notice was given and if she could arrange childcare.
However, after a new general manager was appointed, Owens was told that, in the interests of fairness to other staff, she would have to work a fully flexible seven-day rota.
She was the only receptionist with childcare responsibilities.
Anna Owens worked at the Westvill Hotel for more than 18 months before her agreed working pattern was changed
Owens said when she explained she had a fixed-hours agreement in place, and the change was not feasible with her childcare arrangements, the manager told her that her childcare needs were nothing to do with him and were her responsibility.