Credit Suisse appeared on Thursday in a case of sexist discrimination, attacked by a former trade that considered that the bank had finished its promotion and exceeded its remuneration after the announcement of its pregnancy.
In the first instance, in 2019, the Council of the Industrial Court of Paris recognized the existence of discrimination based on the sex and motherhood of the former employee and condemned Credit Suisse to pay 150,000 euros in compensation for the damage.
The old trade had appealed, considering that the sum was too weak with respect to the remuneration and bonus that it could have perceived.
The Court of Appeal had not recognized discrimination, dismissing the former employee of his application. But this decision was broken in November 2024 by the Cassation Court that sent the case to the Court of Appeals.
After several years in other banks, this woman was hired by Credit Switzerland in 2009 in the “vice president” range, within the French Swiss credit branch in the United Kingdom.
Three years later, he asked to be promoted to the “Director” stadium. She announced her pregnancy in September 2014.
She claims 1.7 million euros for the damage
The bank never followed its promotion application. After several license periods related to their motherhood, the employee ended up signing a contractual break in June 2016.
“The normal regime is to approve +director +. Meanwhile, it has become pregnant and the employer blocked the procedure,” argued his lawyer, Xavier Sauvignet, considering that this case is “emblematic of endemic sexism in the banking sector.”
The old trader also criticizes its former employer at the end of the 2014 bonus payment, and claims a total of 1.7 million euros for economic damage.
“As of 2013, the company’s results were in half mast,” defended Credit Suisse’s lawyer, Alice Hect. The absence of a bonus “is not linked to maternity leave”, “other employees have not received it,” he said. He also considered “disproportionate” the amount claimed by the plaintiff, considering it very far from the lawyer of the industrial court and is based on erroneous quantities.
The decision will be issued on January 13, unless the parties participate in a mediation procedure to resolve the dispute, as proposed by the court.
In the control of difficulties, Credit Suisse has been bought by its main competitor, UBS.
Source: BFM TV
