Westville Hotel, Enniskillen: Anna Owens awarded almost £20,500 in indirect sex discrimination case

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.