Right, so there’s this case doing the rounds that’s got everyone talking. A pregnant woman gets the boot from her job via text message. Nothing particularly shocking there, sadly. Happens all the time. But here’s the kicker: her boss chucked in a jazz hands emoji whilst doing it.
I’m not making this up. Paula Miluska had been working as a property consultant in Birmingham. Morning sickness hit her hard. She asked her boss if she could work from home for a bit. Perfectly reasonable request.
However, her boss, Ammar Kabir, responded by getting rid of her. Via text. With that little jazz hands emoji.
It cost him £94,000. Serves him right, frankly.
How It Actually Went Down
Miluska joined Roman Property Group in March 2022. It was all good until October, when she got pregnant. Her morning sickness got horrendous by November. For anyone who’s had it, they know that it’s not just feeling a little under the weather. Some women can’t even stand up without being sick.
She needed to work from home. That’s it. Not asking for months off. Not asking for special treatment. Just needed to not be in the office whilst her body was doing its thing.
Kabir’s reply? This wishy-washy text message about how the company was “struggling” and really needed a person who could “be in the office”. Then slapped a jazz hands emoji on the end of it. As if that made it all right.
The jazz hands emoji pregnancy dismissal text became exhibit A in the tribunal. Because what Kabir thought was smart was just plain cowardly. He kept it deliberately vague. Did not say “you’re fired” but made it crystal clear he meant just that.
What The Judge Said
Employment Judge Garry Smart wasn’t buying it for a second. The tribunal in Birmingham saw right through it. Yeah, the wording was obscure. Kabir tried to keep things indirect. But judges wade through this garbage all day. They know what’s happening.
The ruling said the bad news “is not immediately obvious because it is given in an obscure and indirect way.” Translation: Kabir was being a coward about it. Trying to sack someone without actually having the guts to say it properly.
Miluska had been the victim of discrimination based on illness caused by her pregnancy. That’s protected under the Equality Act 2010. You can’t fire someone because she’s got morning sickness. It’s that simple.
The Text Message That Broke The Internet
There have been people going mental over this on Reddit and other forums. The jazz hands emoji pregnancy dismissal text message has become this symbol for everything that is wrong in the way that employers treat pregnant women.
Think about it. You’re feeling awful. You’re worried about your baby. You’re trying to do your job, but you have a constant sense of nausea. And you get fired by your boss with a jazz hands emoji. Like it’s something to celebrate. Like he’s doing you a favour.
Jazz hands usually means excitement, right? Achievement. Something positive. Using it in a sacking text is bonkers. It’s like saying, “Congratulations, you’re unemployed now!”
Someone on a forum pointed out that Kabir probably thought the emoji would make the message seem friendlier. Less harsh. What it actually did was make him look even more of a muppet.
Why Morning Sickness Matters
This isn’t about someone throwing a sickie. Morning sickness is real. It’s debilitating. Some women end up in hospital with it. Miluska wasn’t faking it to get out of work.
And here’s the thing: we’ve just been through a pandemic. Everyone worked from home for ages. We all learned that most office jobs can be done remotely. So what’s the problem with letting a pregnant woman work from home whilst she’s dealing with morning sickness?
There isn’t one. The problem was Kabir didn’t want to deal with it. Easier to get rid of her and find someone else. Except that’s illegal. And now it’s cost him nearly a hundred grand.
What It Cost Him
£93,616.74. That’s the exact figure the Birmingham tribunal awarded Miluska in February 2025. Not just for unfair dismissal, but for pregnancy discrimination too. Both Kabir and Roman Property Group Limited are liable.
That’s a lot of money. You could buy a house in some parts of the country for that. Instead, it’s going to the woman he sacked via text because she had morning sickness.
But the financial hit isn’t even the worst bit. This case has been everywhere. The jazz hands emoji pregnancy dismissal is now permanently attached to his name and his company. Anyone thinking of working there is going to Google it first. Anyone thinking of using their services will find this story.
Reputation matters in business. He’s trashed his.
What Employers Keep Getting Wrong
This stuff isn’t complicated. When someone tells you they’re pregnant, you don’t panic. You don’t look for ways to get rid of them. You support them. It’s their legal right and it’s the decent thing to do.
Morning sickness is temporary. Most women feel better after the first trimester. All Kabir had to do was let her work from home for a few weeks until she felt better. That’s it. Problem solved.
Instead, he decided the company couldn’t function without someone in the office. Even though property consultancy can absolutely be done remotely. Even though he could have just been patient for a bit.
Now he’s out nearly £100,000 and everyone thinks he’s an idiot.
The Text That Keeps Giving
The jazz hands emoji has become shorthand for this whole mess. It’s what people remember. Not the legal arguments or the tribunal procedures. Just that stupid emoji in a sacking text.
My mate reckons it’ll end up in employment law textbooks as an example of what not to do.
“Exhibit A: Don’t fire pregnant employees. Exhibit B: Really don’t do it via text. Exhibit C: Absolutely don’t chuck in a jazz hands emoji while doing it.”
It’s almost impressive how many mistakes he managed to squeeze into one text message. Like a masterclass in how to commit pregnancy discrimination whilst leaving perfect evidence.
Where We Are Now
Miluska won her case. She’s got her compensation. Kabir’s learned an expensive lesson. Roman Property Group’s reputation is in tatters.
The money won’t make up for what she went through. Being sacked whilst pregnant is terrifying. You’ve got a baby on the way, bills to pay, and suddenly no income. Then you’ve got to fight a tribunal case whilst dealing with pregnancy. It’s horrendous.
But she fought and she won. That matters. Every time an employer gets hit with a massive bill for pregnancy discrimination, other employers might think twice.
What This Really Means
Cases like this keep happening because some employers still think they can get away with it. They think pregnant women are a liability. They think it’s easier to push them out than to make simple adjustments.
The law says otherwise. Tribunals are backing that up with big compensation awards. This isn’t the first pregnancy discrimination case and it won’t be the last. But maybe, just maybe, it’ll make someone think before they fire a pregnant employee.
Especially via text. Especially with a jazz hands emoji.
Because that’s just taking the absolute biscuit.
