A senior City banker has lost her cases of unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and victimisation against her employer Nomura.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Andrea Madarassy’s case and upheld previous decisions by the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal. She now faces a £300,000 court bill.
Japanese-owned Nomura International said it had been vindicated by the ruling.
Madarassy earned a basic salary of £70,000 plus bonus as part of the firm’s equity capital markets department. She started her job in January 2000 but was made redundant in November 2001 – four months after returning from maternity leave.
Three appeal court judges turned down her claim that the rejection of her sex discrimination case by the employment tribunals was unjustified.
Madarassy said: “While I’m disappointed with the judgment, I think it was important to raise the issue of the treatment of pregnant women in the workplace, particularly in the City, and I hope it has made employers review their day-to-day policies towards their pregnant employees.”
The court refused her permission to appeal to the House of Lords, although she can apply direct. Madarassy was ordered to pay £80,000 interim costs to Nomura within 28 days.
Jenny Watson, chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, which supported her case, said: “We know from our research that many women do experience discrimination whilst pregnant at work and suffer considerable hardship. We continue to be concerned about the treatment of pregnant women at work, including in the City.”
A Nomura spokesman: “We have maintained throughout that Andrea was not discriminated against – neither for being a woman nor a mother – when made redundant in 2001, and at every stage the courts have agreed.”
