Santander to pay $900,000 to settle being pregnant discrimination lawsuit

Santander can pay $900,000 to a former vice-president who alleged the financial institution lower her bonuses, eliminated her shopper accounts and terminated her employment as a result of she was pregnant.

Erin McKenna, who was fired in November 2020, sued the financial institution in early 2021, claiming that she had been the sufferer of discrimination.

Based on her grievance, McKenna, who labored in fastened earnings and rising market gross sales, had two high-risk pregnancies between 2019 and 2020 and needed to make money working from home.

Though the financial institution initially agreed to her request, Santander later instructed McKenna she can be fired if she didn’t return to the workplace, in line with her grievance.

McKenna additionally alleged that the financial institution lower her annual bonus twice and took away most of her accounts when she returned from her first being pregnant, telling her she was “fortunate” to obtain even the decreased bonuses.

Throughout her second being pregnant in 2020 she mentioned she had requested once more to make money working from home and was promptly fired, the grievance mentioned.

McKenna mentioned that she was “devastated” when Santander fired her, at which level she was three and a half months pregnant. She sued the financial institution and her former supervisor in Manhattan federal courtroom for intercourse and being pregnant discrimination, and retaliation.

Santander agreed to pay $900,000 to resolve the case with out accepting legal responsibility to cowl McKenna’s financial damages, attorneys’ charges and prices.

Valdi Licul, a accomplice at regulation agency Wigdor, which represented McKenna, mentioned: “All too typically, employers act as if ladies can both be moms or productive workers, however not each. Erin’s restoration sends a robust message that such an angle is towards the regulation.”

McKenna added: “I hope this victory encourages different ladies, particularly in finance, to discover the braveness to do the identical.” 

Santander mentioned it nonetheless believed McKenna’s claims have been “with out benefit” however “recognising the time and expense related to ongoing litigation, we now have determined to take this motion to expeditiously resolve this matter”.

It comes a number of years after US funding financial institution Jefferies reached an settlement with Shabari Nayak, a former-vice president who claimed the lender had derailed her profession as soon as she turned pregnant, and stripped her of bonuses for which she was eligible.

Nayak, who was additionally represented by Wigdor, settled for an undisclosed quantity in 2018.