A former Swiss Re underwriter has been awarded nearly 1.3 million pounds ($1.6 million) by a London employment tribunal for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal.
Julia Sommer joined Zurich-based Swiss Re in 2017 as a political risk underwriter in London but was made redundant in 2021, months after returning from maternity leave.
She sued Swiss Re, seeking just over 5 million pounds, saying a senior manager commented about her breasts, made references to sex and discriminated against her.
Swiss Re Faces $6.3M Claim Over Sex Discrimination, Unfair Dismissal
The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled last year that her redundancy was “retrofitted” to a pre-existing decision to dismiss her and that a senior manager repeatedly humiliated her.
The tribunal also said that comments made at work drinks in 2017 – when the senior manager told her “if I had breasts like yours, I would be demanding too” and “I bet you like to be on top in bed” – were “a horrible attempt at a joke” and amounted to sex discrimination.
Sommer was awarded 1.29 million pounds in a ruling published on Thursday, which the tribunal said was for “injury to feelings, personal injury and aggravated damages” and other financial losses, including the loss of a bonus in 2021.
A Swiss Re spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of this judgment, which is self-explanatory and which we have given careful consideration to. We have no additional comments to make.”
Sommer could not be contacted for comment.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Topics Underwriting
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
US House Bill Reintroduced to Rid Federal Insurance Office of Subpoena Power 
Q1 Shows ‘Clear’ Signs of Commercial P/C Softening, Says CIAB 
Ice Cream Sandwich Maker Blames Agent for Lack of Recall Insurance After $4.5M Loss 
Despite Backlash From Trump, DEI Hasn’t Disappeared at US Companies 
