Beth
Beth was a professional and ambitious young woman who had started her career in a large estate agency and surveyors. She worked hard to get a promotion into a highly specialized area of valuing portfolios of residential property, which was a small department when she joined. Over two years, she built up the business with her line manager and they were the only two people in the department. When she left, not unnaturally she assumed she would be considered for his post. Unfortunately, it was given to a man running an entirely different department, although she was asked to continue doing the work by working underneath the aegis of a third department. Although she queried why she had not been promoted, she was told she had to ‘prove herself'. Always ready for a challenge, Beth worked hard to show what she was capable of. Except when it came to bonus time and she was presented with a derisory small bonus, despite bringing in huge amounts in fees for her employer.
Again, Beth queried why her bonus was so small when the fee income she had brought in meant that under the bonus scheme it should have been over twice as much. The Finance Director told her it was comparable to other women of her age. Beth came to us and got an increase in her bonus but we also advised her about the other discriminatory actions taken by her employer. Eventually, Beth decided that she could no longer continue to work where her skills were not recognised and resigned.
We brought a claim for constructive unfair dismissal rather than a claim for discrimination, as it was more practical to argue it and Beth already had a new job. She got a handsome six figure settlement, although the important point for her was that her employers should have given her a fair chance.
- Beth (Read the Testimonial).