The WRC Clocks in Pregnancy Claims

Six months, twelve for cause - and the trap built into every pregnancy case: “I’ll deal with it after the baby comes.”

Every claim on this site runs on clocks, but the pregnancy cluster carries a trap none of the others do: the wronged person is, by definition, about to have the busiest and most exhausted months of her life — and the entirely human plan to “deal with it after the baby comes” is precisely how the strongest claims in this field die quietly. This article exists to replace that plan with a better one.

The Architecture: Six, Then Twelve

WRC complaints run on six months from the act, extendable to twelve where reasonable cause is shown — applied for and justified, never assumed. The start point differs by shape: dismissal starts it plainly (though the legal dismissal date can be later than the day it felt like); discrete acts start it at the act; and continuing discrimination — the regime of treatment rather than the single event — can run it from the most recent act, the rule that rescues long patterns. Which start-point analysis fits is technical, case-specific, and exactly what one conversation with a timeline settles.

Time limits in these cases are short, strict, and depend on your exact circumstances — WRC complaints generally run on months, civil claims on years, and important extensions exist, particularly for survivors of abuse. Never assume you are out of time, and never assume you have time: take advice promptly. Nothing on this page is legal advice for your situation.

File, Then Breathe

The trap’s honest answer: lodging the complaint is a form, not a trial. Filing protects the deadline; the process timeline unfolds over months; most cases resolve without a hearing; and running the claim is what solicitors are for — the newborn weeks were never meant to carry it. Where delay has already happened, late pregnancy and new motherhood are the natural territory of the reasonable-cause extension — and “too late” remains a legal conclusion requiring actual dates, never a feeling. The same discipline the site teaches harassment claimants applies here with higher stakes: the clocks lose more strong pregnancy cases than the merits ever do.

Timing as Strategy, Not Just Deadline

Live situations reward early advice beyond the deadline arithmetic: the grievance framed correctly, the protest position that preserves options, the complaint timed strategically, the settlement conversation entered with the 2024 rules at your back — all widest while things are live. Where you stand this week, in two minutes: the Pregnancy Rights Checker; the full machinery: the hub.

A Clock You're Not Sure About?

Bring your dates - announcement, events, dismissal if there was one. One confidential call gives you the real deadline, the extension prospects, and the file-then-breathe plan.

Call 01 5827148

Related Reading

Time Limits - FAQs

Six months from the date of the act of discrimination (or dismissal), extendable to a maximum of twelve months where reasonable cause for the delay is shown. Both numbers matter: six months is the discipline, twelve is the safety net that must be applied for and justified, never assumed. The clock runs from the act - not from when you realised it was unlawful, not from when you felt ready - which is why establishing your exact dates is the first task of every consultation, and why this article’s only real instruction is: take advice on your actual deadline before concluding anything.

About the Author

Richard O’Shea, Solicitor practises with Mary Molloy Solicitors (established 1981), acting for whistleblowers facing penalisation, workers experiencing harassment, and people pursuing civil claims, throughout Ireland. Richard holds a Diploma in Mediation from the Law Society of Ireland — used in this work only as these cases should use it: as one option among several that always remain the client’s choice. Consultations are confidential. Contact Richard on 01 5827148 or richardoshea@marymolloysolicitors.com.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation is different, and you should obtain advice on your own circumstances before acting. In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.