Szabolcs Fekete, a senior analyst who lost his job for filing an expense claim that included coffee and sandwiches for his partner along with false information, lost his lawsuit against Citibank.
Szabolcs Fekete v Citibank: What was the case about?
unpack
Fekete had alleged unfair and unfair dismissal following his dismissal in relation to expenses he claimed for a business trip to Amsterdam in 2022.
The east London employment tribunal dismissed his case last month and ruled in favor of Citibank.
Fekete, who had worked at Citi since 2015, traveled to Amsterdam with his partner, who did not work for the bank, as the court noted.
It presented its expenses at the end of July, insisting that the costs were within the bank’s daily limit of 100 euros. However, a senior manager informed him that the expenses would be rejected, suspecting that the meals listed on the receipt were intended for two people.
As stated in the ruling publicly released on Friday, Fekete responded by email: “I was alone on the business trip and I had 2 coffees because they were so small.”
delicious
The senior manager expressed doubts about his response and commented: “The receipt appears to have two sandwiches, two coffees and another drink. . . Are you realizing that all of this was consumed by you?
Fekete responded: “Yes, that’s correct… That day I skipped breakfast and only had 1 coffee in the morning. For lunch I had 1 sandwich with a drink and 1 coffee at the restaurant and I took another coffee to the office and ate the “second sandwich in the afternoon… which also served as dinner.”
He added that the amounts were “well within my €100 limit.”
Upon further inquiries from the manager, the ruling stated that Fekete responded: “All my expenses are within €100 per day. Could you explain to us what your concern is? “I don’t think I have to justify my eating habits up to this point.”
The top manager raised the expense claim with Citi’s ethics office in early August, prompting an internal investigation.
Fekete was questioned during a Zoom meeting in August, during which he was asked if he had dinner with his partner and consumed “pasta with pesto and bolognese.” Fekete denied this accusation.
pesto
In August, Fekete admitted that some of the food expenses were indeed for his partner. Citi’s investigation in October determined that she had violated the company’s expense management policy and provided false information during the internal investigation.
Why was Feteke’s contract terminated?
In November 2022, Citi terminated his employment for gross misconduct.
During a disciplinary hearing, Fekete, a senior analyst in charge of managing and overseeing Emea regulatory examinations, explained that he had been on medical leave and taking medication for several weeks after his trip to Amsterdam. He also mentioned in his defense the recent loss of a family member.
Judge Illing, presiding over the employment case, ruled that Citi had the authority to fire Fekete as he “was employed in a position of trust at a global financial institution” and said the case was “not about the sums of money.” involved.”
What did the judge state in his ruling?
In the written ruling, the judge said: “I have accepted that the expenses report may have been submitted in error. However, I am satisfied that a dismissal in relation solely to the allegation of misrepresentation would fall within the range of a reasonable response by a reasonable employer.”
He added: “I am satisfied that even if the expenses claim had been submitted under a misunderstanding, the claimant had an obligation to recognize and rectify the situation at the earliest opportunity. “I accept that the defendant requires a commitment to honesty from its employees.”
How did Citi react to the verdict?
Citi said: “We are pleased with the decision.”
In the United Kingdom, financial institutions and regulators have taken strict action against executives accused of personal misconduct, even over small sums of money. For example, in 2020, Citi suspended a senior bond trader for allegedly stealing food from the office cafeteria.
Mizuho Bank in Japan sacked a London banker in 2016 for stealing a chain wheel guard from a colleague’s bicycle, valued at around £5.
In 2014, the Financial Conduct Authority banned Jonathan Burrows, CEO of BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services, from holding senior positions in the UK financial sector. This was due to his repeated evasion of train fare payments during his journey to the city, which eventually led to him paying £43,000 to settle the case.
For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn