Catherwood LibraryILR School

After Bankia, a Spanish bank, made the controversial decision to fire a pregnant employee, Jessica Porras, in spite of her legal protections in 2013, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has finally declared a ruling in its favor. The EU’s Directive 92/85/EEC, which concerns itself with the basic rights of people before and after pregnancy in the European Union, explicitly prohibits firing pregnant workers with specific exceptions. The ECJ, the top court in the European Union, has just ruled that businesses are allowed to dismiss pregnant workers as part of staff cuts. Bankia claimed to have dismissed Porras due to low scores on work evaluations and her poor performance alone, but many, including Porras, were dubious about the company’s sincerity. The ECJ’s ruling in this case has broad implications for the treatment of pregnant workers in the future throughout the EU, leaving questions of job insecurity for those who might become pregnant.