The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) has imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million on a private company for unlawfully terminating the employment of a female employee while she was on officially approved maternity leave.
The decision was issued by Federal Ombudsperson Ms. Fauzia Viqar, who held that terminating an employee during maternity leave constitutes harmful treatment and falls within the ambit of gender discrimination and psychological harassment under the applicable law.
According to the case record, the complainant was employed in the company’s accounting department when she was informed of her termination through a telephone call during her approved maternity leave. The Ombudsperson observed that pregnancy, childbirth, maternity leave, and the post-delivery recovery period are unique circumstances that require legal protection and must not become grounds for discriminatory treatment in the workplace.
The ruling emphasized that denying women these protections undermines their fundamental rights and violates the principles of equality, dignity, and fair treatment guaranteed under the law.
In addition to the financial penalty, FOSPAH directed the company to implement comprehensive institutional reforms, strengthen compliance with workplace protections for female employees, and adopt measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The organization was also instructed not to take any retaliatory action against the complainant.
The decision reaffirms FOSPAH’s commitment to ensuring safe, equitable, and harassment-free workplaces while safeguarding the rights of women in employment through effective enforcement of the law.
