Green V Deutsche Bank – £828,000 Awarded

The High Court has awarded a former Deutsche Bank worker £828,000 in damages following what the judge described as a relentless campaign of mean and spiteful behaviour by colleagues.

Helen Green, a high flyer at the bank, was admitted to hospital suffering a major depressive illness as a result of a 3-year campaign of bullying. This included amongst other things, ignoring her, laughing at her when she walked by, making lewd comments, and hiding her post.

Green raised the problem with her manager and HR department but her complaints were ignored.

In judgement, Mr Justice Owen described the behaviour as ‘oppressive and unreasonable’ adding that ‘line managers knew or ought to have known what was going on. They collectively closed their eyes to what was happening, no doubt in the hope that the problem would go away’.

He identified that

‘There were obvious steps that could have been taken. It ought to have been made clear that such behaviour was simply unacceptable, and those involved warned that if they persisted disciplinary action would follow. By whatever means the bullying could and should have been stopped’.

The size of the damages awarded reflected the court’s view that Green would never again work in a job that paid as well as she had been at the bank.

Ref – Helen Green v DB Group Services (UK) Ltd [2006] EWHC 1898

You can also read about this case on the Daily Mail site:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-398586/Woman-City-worker-wins-800-000-Deutsche-Bank-bullying-case.html