An employment tribunal has ruled that banking organisation JP Morgan did not discriminate against a female analyst who claimed she was paid less for doing the same job as her male colleague.
Saidya Najeeb joined JP Morgan as an analyst in March 2022. She was paid an annual salary of £55,000 but alleged that she was underpaid compared to one of the male employees in her team, who was paid about £5,000 more in her first year at the bank and £8,000 more in her second year.
After raising her concern with her managers, Najeeb said she received a series of negative feedback in rapid succession and that her managers “consistently demonstrated a pattern of exclusion and unequal treatment”.
She claimed she did not receive any invitations to office events and was denied promotion and training opportunities that her male colleague received. She added that she felt she had been discriminated against until she moved to the bank’s asset management division in October 2023.
During the tribunal, her managers said they had taken her complaint seriously and referred it to an independent hearing manager at the bank, who rejected her grievance.
They denied victimising or discriminating against her, stating gender had not been a factor in salary decisions. They added that her salary was correct for the role and her male colleague’s higher salary reflected his longer experience in the industry.
Under the Equality Act 2010, men and women must receive equal pay for doing equal work. However, allowances can be made for differences in experience.
Employment judge A M Snelson said: “The claimant’s claim for equal pay, of direct sex discrimination and complaints of victimisation are not well-founded. The claimant’s complaints of direct sex discrimination and victimisation fail on the further ground that they were presented out of time and the tribunal has no jurisdiction to consider them.”
JP Morgan declined to comment.
