A nursery worker has won almost £24,000 after her boss told her she was "affecting the future development" of the children she cared for after being forced off work with debilitating morning sickness.
Zahra Faqi was hospitalised with Hyperemesis Gravidarum - the same condition Kate Middleton had during her pregnancies - and told her manager she was unable to work.
But an employment tribunal heard that boss Mohammed Yusuf pressed the childcare professional to tell him if her condition was going to be a "long term issue" and asked when she was "likely to improve".
Less than three months after finding out she was pregnant, Ms Faqi was sacked, the hearing was told.
The Duchess of Cambridge had the condition with all three of her pregnancies and ended up in hospital while carrying her first child, Prince George.
Ms Faqi won her claim after a panel ruled that her dismissal from her £14,800 a year job was a "blatant act of discrimination".
She has been awarded £23,988 in compensation.
The remotely held hearing was told Ms Faqi began working at Assunnah Primary School, Tottenham, north London, in September 2018 working as a 'room leader' in the nursery.
In February 2019, she became pregnant.
The tribunal heard: "On March 23, 2019, Ms Faqi was hospitalised overnight with hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive vomiting).
"The doctor's opinion was that Ms Faqi was not fit for any work."
In April 2019, Ms Faqi received an email from school manager Mr Yusef which said: "We need to know the following:
"If you are likely to improve, and if so when? Are there likely to be further absences? Will the children's development be affected? Is this a long term issue, or temporary?
"The children and parents do have rights over us and we do need to ensure that these are not violated."
Ms Faqi replied: "My doctor has still deemed me unfit for work. I am suffering from a pregnancy related illness.
"Regarding your questions, I do not know when I will improve nor when. I am unable to tell you if there will be further absences again as I do not know when I will recover.
"I have been extremely stressed due to this, being told that I will be dismissed, being blamed and overall I feel this has not been dealt with professionally."
Later on in April Mr Yusuf emailed Ms Faqi to dismiss her, less than three months after she had found out she was pregnant, the tribunal heard.
The school manager said: "Looking at your performance in periods of probation, we would like to conclude that we cannot continue with your employment at the school.
"I appreciate that you have ongoing medical issues, however the medical grounds have resulted in a compromise of you performing your role affecting the future development of our children.
"We ask Allah to cure you and free you from all difficulties. We also ask that our children's future can be sufficiently recovered."
Mr Yusuf did not offer Ms Faqi a right of appeal against the decision to dismiss her, the hearing was told.
The panel - headed by employment judge Thomas Brown - concluded that her dismissal was because of pregnancy related illness, and that this was an act of unlawful pregnancy discrimination.
"We have noted that (Ms Faqi) got better after the period of sickness absence that she had.
"We have taken into account that this was a blatant act of discrimination.
"It was evident on the face of the email by which (she) was dismissed which drew the connection between (her) dismissal and her pregnancy related absence."
