Ex-Goldman Sachs Manager Claims £3.8M In Paternity Sex Bias Case.
A former manager at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has initiated a sex-discrimination lawsuit against the investment bank, seeking £3.8 million ($5 million) in damages. The claim asserts that he was unjustly terminated for taking six months of paternity leave.
Jonathan Reeves, who held the position of vice president in Goldman’s compliance department in London, alleges that he was dismissed shortly after his return from the leave in 2022, as indicated by documents prepared for a court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The bank refutes the allegations and contends that the termination was a result of performance issues that have persisted for several years. Reeves asserts that the true motive behind his dismissal was the bank's disapproval of male employees taking extended leave following the birth of their children.
He observed that senior management at the bank exhibited a negative attitude towards male employees who took extended parental leave, as well as towards those encountering childcare challenges in a broader context, according to statements made by his attorneys in court filings.
Reeves claims that he was informed just prior to his return to work that his position was in jeopardy and, for the first time in his 15-year career, he had not met performance expectations. His dismissal was officially communicated less than five weeks later, a situation his legal representatives argue would not have occurred for a female employee in a similar role. In recent times, Wall Street banks have been striving to enhance leave policies for secondary caregivers. Citigroup Inc. was one of the institutions that increased its parental leave benefits this year.
In the United Kingdom, new parents typically anticipate a longer duration of leave compared to their counterparts in the United States. The newly elected Labour government is also intending to enhance the entitlement to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from the very first day of employment, thereby aligning these provisions with those of maternity leave.
Goldman Sachs implemented a pioneering policy in 2019, offering 26 weeks of paid parental leave to all new parents, and we strongly encourage our employees to utilize this benefit,” stated a spokesperson for the bank regarding the ongoing dispute. “This leave is advantageous for both working fathers and working mothers.”
Goldman Sachs' legal representatives stated in court documents that the critiques regarding his performance were attributed to his professional role rather than his gender, noting that his performance was evaluated in comparison to both male and female peers.
Following Reeves' termination, the firm acknowledged that he had engaged in a "serious breach" by secretly recording a minimum of five conversations and meetings while serving as a compliance officer.
Reeves' financial demand encompasses lost wages, contributions to retirement plans, and the negative stigma associated with his termination, which he contends has resulted in several unsuccessful job applications.
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