Natwest set to pay £2m for unfair dismissal

Natwest faces a reparations claim of £2 million after it was found that the company had unfairly dismissed a senior worker who was undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.

Despite the banking giant’s claim that 44-year-old compliance officer Adeline Willis was a necessary redundancy, a London employment tribunal deemed the dismissal as “tainted with discrimination“.

Willis, who had worked at Natwest for six years, had received major surgery and was in the second day of recovery when she was informed that she no longer had a job. The compliance officer had been performing on secondment for a year, and receiving an annual salary of £160,000.

Evidence of unfair dismissal

Key to the verdict of unfair dismissal was a call made by Willis’ manager to HR which sought advice on how to fire Willis early. This call was made a week after Willis told the bank of her cancer treatment plan that involved chemotherapy and radiotherapy every day for multiple months.

On top of that, Willis alleged that Natwest’s chief executive, Alison Rose, had committed to support her and was aware of the situation “but when ‘push came to shove’ she did nothing to intervene”.

Willis added why she felt she was fired: “[I was] seen as less valuable or, perhaps as a liability because of my cancer diagnosis, or because of concern that I may need to take further periods off work in the future to undergo further treatment if I became unwell”.

Although Willis continued to join calls remotely on a Monday morning during her treatment, when she returned to the office her manager told her not to attend anymore while in front of her colleagues. The decision was phrased as if this would give her an hour of her working day back.

The dismissal, which occurred eight months after Willis’ cancer diagnosis, left her “surprised and humiliated” and she felt she was “physically and emotionally in turmoil” according to The Telegraph.

Natwest will now face a £2 million pay out for damages. However, if the bank contests this compensation and an agreement is not reached a remedies hearing has been provisionally fixed for late April.

Speaking about the case, Will Clayton, a lawyer at Constantine Law who represented Willis, wrote on LinkedIn: “This has been a harrowing experience for my client who did not deserve the appalling treatment that she endured at the hands of one of this country’s largest and best-resourced employers.”

Despite his client being “made to fight every inch of the way,” Clayton stated: “The next step is to ensure that Willis is fully compensated for her losses and the discrimination that she has suffered”

Natwest told UNLEASH: “We recognize the extremely difficult personal circumstances in this case. The bank is currently reviewing the judgment and considering its position further.”

The bank also noted: “A number of the claims brought by Ms Willis against the bank were unsuccessful, including all her claims of indirect discrimination and failure to make reasonable adjustments and some of her claims alleging discrimination arising out of her disability.”