A MUM-OF-TWO lost her job on a Boots beauty counter after she left work when her young children were rushed to hospital, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

Anna Golonka, from Trent Road in Didcot, is suing the High Street giant and beauty firm Elizabeth Arden for sexual discrimination after she claimed she was sacked for too many “unauthorised absences” owing to her five-year-old autistic son and seven-month-old baby boy’s medical needs.

Both Boots and Elizabeth Arden contest the claims.

Miss Golonka, 30, said Boots bosses removed her as a counter manager in a Reading store in December 2011 after she had to leave work early, or could not come in, because her children were ill on four occasions. She said: “This time off was classed as unauthorised absence and used to dismiss me.”

Miss Golonka told the Reading tribunal she was “devastated” to lose her job and said the experience had taken a “great toll” on her health.

The tribunal is expected to last four days.