Tiffany Kantrowitz claims that she was sacked from her position as beauty stylist and sales associate for the Dolce & Gabbana brand at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, after she became pregnant.
The suit was filed by New York law firm Beranbaum Menken, claiming unfair dismissal after Kratrowitz was sacked from the position she had held for two years when it became known to her employees that she was pregnant.
Pregnancy not 'becoming'
The lawsuit, referred to as Kantrowitz v. The Procter & Gamble Company, notes that Kantrowitz had earlier been told that pregnancy was not ‘becoming’ for beauty consultants working on the counter, before she was fired from the position.
The lawsuit also details how Kantrowitz was concerned that because the position meant she had to stay on her feet for long hours, the demands might jeopardize the health of both herself and her unborn baby.
In view of this she asked if she could be seated while serving customers, a request that the lawsuit says was denied. Instead she was asked to take breaks, for which the accumulated time would be deducted from her maternity allowance.
Violation of federal and city regulations
Further details in the court papers reveal that she was then fired in February 2015 for taking tester items for personal use – a practice the company was said to encourage amongst its staff and one she was never warned against.
The lawsuit claims that the action was in violation of the Federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act and a similar New York City rule, designed to give pregnant women better protection at work.
Procter & Gamble owns the Dolce & Gabbana color cosmetics and fragrance license, but the lawsuit makes no mention of either the fashion house or Saks Fifth Avenue.
The litigation has already proved to be a high profile as it has attracted the attention of a number of working groups that fight to protect the rights of female employees in the US workplace.
P&G’s Old Spice lawsuit
P&G has been facing up to the challenge of flat sales and a significant restructuring of the business, but it is also facing up to other litigation challenges that came at the end of last month when it was slapped with a lawsuit for its Old Spice brand.
This lawsuit being filed in Cincinnati by Connick Law and seeks compensation from P&G's Old Spice deodorant brand of up to $25 million for allergic reactions that led to uncomfortable and unsightly rashes.
Now industry observers and analysts are left wondering if the lawsuit could means thousands of consumers will join in the litigation, which has garnered a lot of media attention since it was first filed.