City firm wins reduction in damages payout to bullied employee

City firm Cantor Fitzgerald International has won a reduction to £900,000 of damages awarded to a former employee who claimed he was bullied.

Steven Horkulak claimed he was bullied for six months until his June 2003 dismissal. The former senior manager said he was abused by another manager who allegedly threatened to rip his head off.

But Cantor claimed the award was excessive and it has now been reduced by nearly £117,000.

The Appeal Court judges were told the mistakes had been made when reaching conclusions about the original damages award. It was also claimed that insufficient weight had been attached to Cantor’s criticisms of their former employee.

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The court also ruled that a further £630,000 won by Horkulak should be reviewed as a full retrial would be too costly.