Royal Mail worker wins £3,700 compensation for unlawfully denied parental leave at employment tribunal

An employment tribunal has ruled that a Royal Mail postal worker’s unpaid parental leave was unlawfully denied and that she should receive more than £3,000 in compensation.

Sylwia Gwiazda, a mother of three children, has been employed by Royal Mail as a postal delivery worker since 19 June 2006.

In January 2024, she informally asked her line manager, Tanveer, for two weeks of unpaid leave to be taken before her already approved annual leave for 19 August to 1 September, so she could spend a month in Poland with her children.

Tanveer declined the request, explaining that it would make it difficult for the unit to meet its universal service obligation of delivering letters six days per week.

On 19 February, Gwiazda submitted a formal written request for leave from 5 to 18 August. She followed up on 6 March after receiving no response.

Tanveer replied two days later, stating that approving the request would push the team above its six-person leave threshold. On 28 March, he refused the August dates and offered three alternative periods in September and October during term time.

On 9 April, Gwiazda responded that she could not take her children out of school and required the August dates. Tanveer then offered four new slots in October and November, including one during half term.

On 11 June, she filed a grievance against the postponement, with a meeting held that day. Gwiazda’s claim was denied on 21 June, so she filed an appeal four days later.

During its appeal, which was denied, Royal Mail admitted it had failed to react within the necessary seven-day timeframe, instead taking 38 days. It agreed that an HR adviser had wrongly described unpaid parental leave as being for “unforeseen reasons”.

The dispute additionally contributed to a deterioration in Gwiazda’s mental wellbeing, leading to sickness absence from September to December 2024. 

Gwiazda was awarded £3,700.77, comprising £700.77 in financial losses and £3,000 for injury to feelings.

Employment judge Clark said: “Royal Mail’s lengthy delay represented a breach of the rules, meaning it lost the right to postpone the leave under the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999, making its refusal unlawful.”

Royal Mail was contacted for comment prior to publication.