A landmark ruling from the Industrial Court of Antigua and Barbuda has delivered justice to a mother wrongfully pushed out of her job after taking maternity leave, awarding her more than $61,000 in damages and back pay from local hospitality venue Sheer Rocks Restaurant and Bar.
The case centered on Joshuanette Francis, who built a five-year career with the establishment starting in 2016, working her way up from entry-level staff to the position of Junior Supervisor. When Francis gave birth in 2020, management removed her name from the work roster that October, cutting off her access to shifts before she even began her legally mandated maternity leave. When her leave concluded in November 2021, the restaurant refused to give Francis her job back, and never issued a formal written termination notice to explain the decision, leaving her unemployed and in the dark about her employment status.
In the final judgment handed down on 22 May 2026, the court confirmed that the restaurant had violated clear provisions laid out in Antigua and Barbuda’s Labour Code, which requires employers to reinstate workers to their positions after they complete maternity leave. The ruling labeled Francis’s removal from the roster as “harsh and oppressive”, emphasizing that the employer offered zero communication or justification for its actions after Francis welcomed her child.
Breaking down the total award of $61,118.32, the compensation covers lost wages, accrued unused vacation pay, loss of statutory employment protection, required pay in lieu of notice, legal costs, and exemplary damages. Of that total, $20,000 was allocated to exemplary damages, a designation the court approved after finding the restaurant acted knowingly: management had already processed and approved all required documentation for Francis’s maternity benefits, meaning it was fully aware of its legal obligation to reinstate her, yet still chose to exclude her from the roster permanently. The court has ordered the full amount to be paid to Francis no later than 30 June 2026.
Speaking to reporters following the ruling, Francis called the decision a long-awaited win after years of navigating the legal process. She used the moment to encourage other working people who face similar discriminatory treatment after pregnancy or maternity leave to assert their legal rights and seek justice.
Francis was represented in court by legal advisors Samuel A. James and Simon Leonard from the Antigua and Barbuda Free Trade Union, which supported her through the four-year legal battle. The case sets a new public precedent for enforcing maternity protections for hospitality workers across the Eastern Caribbean.