Call us now on 0300 303 5228

Latest from the blog

18th December 2024

Sex Discrimination Ruling Against Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs HQ in New York

A former vice-president of Goldman Sachs’ London compliance team has won a sex discrimination claim after being dismissed following his paternity leave.

Jon Reeves, who joined the bank in 2007, was let go in September 2022 after taking six months of paternity leave from November 2021 to May 2022. Sachs argued the decision was based on performance, but the Tribunal instead found that Reeves had been discriminated against because of his sex.

Reeves testified that the bank disapproved of male employees taking extended childcare leave and claimed that a woman in his position would not have been treated the same. He also highlighted concerns he raised about balancing work and parenthood which were met with dismissive comments, with Reeves being told, “You’re a grown man, you can sort this out.”

The Tribunal ruled that Goldman Sachs had failed to carry out a fair redundancy process, unlawfully reduced Reeves’ remuneration, and ultimately dismissed him unfairly.

Goldman Sachs maintains that the redundancy was unrelated to gender, citing performance issues, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting working parents. A remedy hearing to decide Reeves’ compensation will take place in the new year.

The case underscores the importance of equitable treatment for male employees taking parental leave. Whilst Companies may have policies in place which aim to support working parents, they also need to back up these policies with Company-wide support for working parents. If they don’t, they risk facing reputationally and financially damaging Tribunal proceedings.

Get in touch

Friendly, professional & personal health & safety consultants

0300 303 5228

Get a free consultation

    Leave your details and we’ll call you back.

    Related blog posts