New mother driven out by music firm is awarded £27,000

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Luisa Berg, 31, was "not taken seriously" when she asked bosses at Notting Hill Music Group - behind top artists including Madonna and Beyoncé - to let her work part-time or flexible hours on her return, a tribunal ruled.

Managing director David Loader, 61, insensitively told her to "chill out and go on holiday or just try to relax" instead of resolving her request.

He lied to her that a £1,000 Christmas bonus had not been paid to staff while she was away - causing her "a feeling of betrayal", the tribunal found.

He stalled the £26,000-a-year creative manager for months, effectively forcing her to return full-time or quit.

When she left and sued the company, he branded her a "nasty person" and a "gold-digger". But a panel at Central London employment tribunal ruled the firm unlawfully failed to make allowances for Mrs Berg's baby daughter.

It found Mrs Berg, of Fulham, suffered sex discrimination because of her pregnancy and maternity leave. She was awarded £27,030, including £16,000 for hurt feelings, £5,542 for lost earnings and £1,000 for the denied bonus.

Her award also included £2,800 for the firm failing to provide flexible working hours and £1,600 for not providing a written contract of employment.

The panel also ordered the bosses to attend equal opportunities training or face having the damages increased. It ruled: "Being told to 'chill out, go on holiday or try to relax' showed a peculiar insensitivity to the claimant's situation, when what she really needed to let her relax and enjoy her new baby was clarity and certainty of her position at work.

"As it was, she was unable to make appropriate childcare arrangements. The claimant suffered very considerable injured feelings, stress and un- happiness at a particularly sensitive and inappropriate time in her life as a new mother."

Mrs Berg had told the tribunal: "I worked for Dave for five years and I have been extremely hurt by the way I was treated."

The West London music company manages more than 25,000 copyrights of recordings by inter- national pop stars.