Sacked City accountant claims unfair dismissal
An American manager at a City firm who sacked a financial controller while she was on maternity leave last year knew little about the rights of new mothers in Britain, an employment tribunal has heard.
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Diane Winship, 35, a £70,000 a year financial controller with City traders Goldenberg Hehmeyer, is claiming sex discrimination and unfair dismissal against her former employer.
Winship claimed she had a promise to work part-time when she returned from maternity leave that was not upheld. But in hearings last week her American superviser Edith Adamski said that Winship’s part-time working came as a shock to her and chief financial officer Greg Burdett.
Adamski said that she had no choice but to suspend Winship in August last year when she continued to claim that senior managers had lied to her over the issue.Under cross-examination, Adamski revealed she had no idea about basic maternity laws.
Adamski added, however, that she did not believe there could have been a mutual understanding on part-time work. Goldenberg Hehmeyer denies sex disrimination and unfair dismissal. A ruling is expected in October.