- An ex-employee of Germany's Commerzbank will get $370,000 after judges say sex discrimination likely cost her a promotion.
- Jagruti Rajput was deputy head of markets compliance in the bank's London office but says a male colleague was treated as the senior member instead.
A former manager at a German bank has been awarded nearly $370,000 after a panel of judges unanimously concluded she was likely passed over for a promotion because of sex discrimination.
Jagruti Rajput was deputy head of markets compliance in the London office of German bank Commerzbank, according to a decision published by a London employment tribunal this week. In the UK, an employment tribunal is a judicial body, composed of several judges, that often handles employer-employee disputes.
Rajput claimed a male colleague was treated as the senior member of her team even though she was deputy head. She also alleged that, while she was on maternity leave, a junior colleague took over most of her job duties, but many of these responsibilities were not returned to Rajput once she came back to work.
While she was on maternity leave, Rajput attempted to join a meeting to "update them on the birth of her baby" and "clarify any issues with the handover," but she found she didn't have access, according to the case documents. She was also dissuaded from attending a quarterly review meeting, which the tribunal found to be an act of maternity discrimination.
Rajput sought a promotion to head of markets compliance but lost out on it; the tribunal determined she had a 60% chance of getting the promotion if not for illegal sex discrimination.
She will get £300,685, or nearly $370,000, which includes £201,650.55 for the salary, bonus, and pension payments she lost by not getting the promotion; £25,000 for injury to feelings; as well as a combined £74.034.20 in interest on those two sums.
Rajput's attorney and Commerzbank did not immediately respond to requests for comment.