Bower gets 1.4m payout after SSSB drops appeal

The award to Julie Bower is the largest compensation paid out for unfair dismissal in a sexual discrimination suit in British history. However, SSSB continues to deny the allegations brought by Bower against Schroder Securities.

SSSB is making the payment after deciding to drop an appeal against the award, made last year by an industrial tribunal, because the re-hearing would have been disruptive.

A SSSB spokesman said: &quotRather than carrying through the entire appeal and re-hearing process to its conclusion - which would have been both time-consuming and disruptive - we have decided to move on.&quot

Bower, 35, brought the case against Schroder Securities after she was paid a &quotlousy&quot 25,000 annual bonus while her two male colleagues were paid some 650,000 and 450,000 each. She claimed that her meagre payment was because she was a woman and said that her male colleagues were trying to ruin her career.

The tribunal found in her favour, awarding Bower a bonus of 170,000, representing the salary, bonuses, pension contributions and car allowances that she would have earned to date.

However, Schroders has consistently denied Bower's claims. At the tribunal Philip Augar, the then-chairman of Schroder Securities, said that Bower used to become so agitated at work that she was a danger to the business.

Augar told the tribunal that Bower used to ignore the advice of her bosses, fired off curt letters and emails to executives and &quotchallenged him in a finger jabbing confrontation&quot. She also turned down repeated requests to attend counselling sessions that was offered to most staff.

He also said that both he and Schroders believed completely in equal rights and had other women in senior positions.

SSSB's decision to back down over the award is bound to trigger another around of sexual discrimination cases in the City of London, already on the increase. Over the last year there have been a growing number of claims by women, particularly analysts.

The latest to sue her employer is Louise Barton, a former media analyst at Investec Henderson Crosthwaite, the South African owned investment bank. Her employment tribunal is due to start next week.

Barton, ranked top in the Reuters smaller companies leaque table last year, claims that two of her male colleagues were paid twice the amount that she was being paid.

She says that even though she was generating as much revenue as her colleagues, Matthew Horsman and Mike Savage, she was paid substantially less. She was responsible for hiring Horsman.

Barton is being advised by lawyers Bird & Bird. Investec is refuting her claims and says that it has always recognised Barton's talents. A statement said: &quotWe are disappointed she has taken a different view. As a matter of principle, however, we will vigorously defend our record of treating all our employees fairly.&quot

Other recent high-profile cases include those brought by Kay Swinbourne, a banker who sued Deutsche Bank after alleging harassment, and Aisling Sykes, another banker, who sued her employer JP Morgan.