The law says it's sex discrimination - against a man
Jonathan Reeves took six months of paternity leave.
When he returned, he was dismissed.
The tribunal ruled it was sex discrimination.
Because a woman in the same role wouldn’t have been treated the same.
Not because men are oppressed.
But because men aren’t expected to take time off for family.
And when they do - it costs them.
Sex discrimination isn’t always against women.
But it’s always about gender.
What you’re allowed to do.
What you’re expected to sacrifice.
What makes you seem “committed.”
And employers reinforce these expectations without realising:
➤ They question a woman’s ability to return, but ignore a man’s need to adjust
➤ They reward availability, but not accountability
➤ They assume care = female, drive = male
➤ They delay promotions after maternity leave, and quietly sideline men who take paternity leave
It’s not personal.
It’s structural.
And that’s why it keeps happening.
These aren’t one-off decisions.
They’re patterns.
❌ Women have to prove they won’t leave.
❌ Men have to prove they won’t slow down.
❌ Anyone who doesn’t “fit the mould” gets quietly moved aside.
No policy says this.
But the outcomes show it.
And when someone files a claim?
It’s not your intention that matters.
It’s your impact.
If you're dealing with long-term absence that might affect the business, heres what you SHOULD do instead"
➊ Audit decision-making patterns – especially around flexibility, leave, pay, and progression
➋ Introduce a gender lens across every people process – maternity, paternity, hybrid, reward
➌ Train leaders to notice gendered assumptions – because bias doesn’t always look like discrimination... until it is
👋🏽 𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.
𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽—𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.
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Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more.Â
