Murron Stewart, a 27-year-old estate agent from Elgin, Moray, has been awarded more than £47,000 after an employment tribunal found she was discriminated against by property firm Purplebricks over her pregnancy and maternity leave, leading her to resign. The case highlights the legal protections owed to pregnant employees and new mothers, and the consequences employers can face when those obligations are breached.

Stewart joined Purplebricks in 2022 and had been praised as a "strong performer" before her pregnancy, which she wished to keep private after previous miscarriages, was disclosed to colleagues by her line manager without her consent. She subsequently faced health issues, was moved to a virtual team, and returned to a restructured role after maternity leave before reducing to part-time hours for childcare reasons in January 2025. After being told her part-time work did not meet role requirements and unresolved grievance meetings, she resigned; the tribunal ruled she had been constructively and unfairly dismissed and ordered Purplebricks to pay her £47,323, with judge Amanda Jones citing direct discrimination linked to her maternity leave and caring responsibilities.