Swiss Re Ordered to Pay Former Underwriter $1.6M for Sexism, Unfair Dismissal

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)