Wed, 26 Mar 2025

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 Maternity discrimination case settled for £215k

Maeve Bradley took action against Citibank after it promoted the person who covered her maternity leave.
A woman, Maeve Bradley, has accepted a £215,000 settlement from Citibank after alleging she was discriminated against due to her pregnancy and maternity leave. She claimed that while on leave, another employee was promoted to vice president, leaving her out of the running for a promotion opportunity. The case was settled without Citibank admitting liability. Bradley had been an assistant vice president at Citibank in Belfast before taking maternity leave in 2023. When she returned to work, she applied for reduced hours due to childcare needs but was instead offered an alternative role with no experience. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland supported Bradley's case, which alleged sex discrimination, disability discrimination, and victimisation. The commission said that Bradley had been subjected to "a lack of adequate effort" from the company to support her return to work. Bradley stated that she loved her job and expected to be able to balance work and family responsibilities without being penalised. She felt that the company should have valued mothers and their skills more highly. The case highlights a common issue with pregnancy-related sex discrimination, according to Geraldine McGahey, chief commissioner of the Equality Commission. The commission receives many complaints about women being disadvantaged due to pregnancy or family responsibilities. Citibank issued a statement saying they were keen to retain Bradley as an employee but were unable to reach an agreement on her return to work. They claimed to strive for an inclusive workplace and acknowledged the engagement of Bradley and the Equality Commission in resolving the matter.
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