Nairobi, Feb. 16 -- The Employment and Labour Relations Court has ruled that removing an employee from work-related WhatsApp groups can amount to unlawful discrimination and constructive dismissal.

The court also held that severing an employee from workplace communication platforms constitutes a breach of fair labour practices, establishing clear boundaries on how employers may use digital tools to marginalise staff.

The ruling arose in a case against Hallmark Marketing Limited, where the court found the company had constructively and unfairly dismissed Fidelis Wambui by removing her from workplace communication channels-including WhatsApp chat groups and emails-while she was on a pregnancy-related sick leave.

The court awarded Ms Wamb...