Vic: Casino worker claims sacking was unjust

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2000
Vic: Casino worker claims sacking was unjust

By Catherine Chisholm

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - A former Crown Casino media officer is suing her old workplace,
saying she was fired because she was pregnant, a court was told today.

An emotional Jo Perkich, 40, of St Kilda, told of the stress of being told in January
1997 she was being made redundant and of her subsequent decision to terminate the pregnancy.

She is claiming $256,366 from Crown.

Ms Perkich said she told her supervisor Gary O'Neill that she was pregnant and three
days later he told her that she was to be made redundant.

"I was shocked, terribly shocked," she told a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
hearing in Melbourne today.

After she was made redundant, a $10,000 contract for two months of work, which she
had signed, was also terminated.

She eventually decided not to go ahead with the pregnancy because, having lost her
job and her financial security she would be unable to get another job easily, she said.

"It's the hardest and saddest decision I have ever had to make," she said.

She subsequently was referred to a psychiatrist suffering from depression after the
loss of the baby and her career.

Kamal Farouque, for Ms Perkich, said she would seek a declaration that Crown Ltd acted
unlawfully in terminating the contract, a positive reference in relation to her job at
Crown and damages for loss and suffering.

Ms Perkich, who had been working at Crown Casino for seven months, and had earlier
worked as a media officer for the Grand Prix, told her supervisor Mr O'Neill in confidence
she was pregnant and considering whether to proceed with it on January 6.

Three days later she went to tell him she would have the baby and was told her position
had been made redundant.

Ms Perkich said she was shocked and that it seemed "extremely coincidental" given the
timing of her pregnancy.

She wiped away tears today as she told how she had connected with the child and how
she broke down after the baby was terminated.

"I can't explain what it was like to go through something like that ... when you are
put in a situation where you had no choice but to terminate," she said.

She said that she would never be the same person again and not be able to have a child,
get back to the career she had, and her reputation was ruined.

Crown argued that her position was made redundant because they were cutting back staff.

But Ms Perkich said that it was "totally implausible" given the new Crown Casino complex
was due to open in the coming months.

"I believe it was a standard Crown ruthless business decision," she said.

She said Crown would not like the image of a single pregnant woman being "up there"

because it would not fit the image of the world of entertainment.

Frances O'Brien, for Crown, during cross-examination referred to Ms Perkich as having
a difficult relationship with some staff and the relationship she had with colleague Ann
Peacock as "poisonous".

Ms Perkich said there were times when Ms Peacock would think she should do something
she did not think she should do.

The court heard she also had a problem at one time with Jamie Bartels.

Ms O'Brien also referred to an incident where Ms Perkich was spoken to after she used
foul language when dealing with a switchboard operator.

The hearing before Commissioner Richard Tracey continues tomorrow.

AAP cmc/ej/br a

KEYWORD: PERKICH NIGHTLEAD

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