In the case of Stacey Macken v BNP Paribas London Branch Stacey Macken took the bank to tribunal in 2019, claiming she was paid significantly less than her male counterpart with the same job title.
Macken was recruited on an annual salary of £120,000. But just months later, a male colleague was hired under the same job title for £160,000. That same co-worker took home about £237,000 in bonuses over a five-year period, seven times more than the combined £33,000 offered to Macken.
An employment tribunal in London heard that Macken was often rudely dismissed by one of her bosses, who would brush off her questions by saying “not now Stacey”. The phrase was used so frequently that her colleagues started to use the phrase sarcastically.
Another boss subjected Macken to crude stories, including one about a friend who took part in sexual role play with his wife that involved fantasies about sex workers.
Georgina Chapman, a former personal assistant to one of Macken’s bosses, said: “I suspected it was one of the drunk team members, because they were the only people in that area of the office the evening before, which, combined with their drunkenness, made them most likely to have done it.
“Stacey was visibly upset and confided in me that she felt really uncomfortable working with those male colleagues, knowing that one of them had purposefully gone out of their way to leave a witch’s hat on her desk.”
An employment tribunal judge upheld her complaints over unequal pay and discrimination, but dismissed the harassment claims. It is not yet clear how much she may receive in compensation from BNP Paribas, where she is still employed.
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