'No discrimination' | Judge rules Deutsche Bank sexism complaints were 'part of office life'

A Deutsche Bank employee who accused co-workers of ageism and sexism was told that such behaviour was part of “day-to-day office life” by an employment judge.

Ex-managing director Elisabeth Maugars was suing the finance giant for more than £4million after claiming she’d been made redundant because of a “culture of sexism and ageism” - a culture which reportedly included colleagues nicknaming her ‘Christine Lagarde’ - the President of the Central European Bank – due to them both being French and having grey hair.

Maugars was dismissed in 2020, having earlier been placed at risk of redundancy during the pandemic when finances were stretched. The bank argued that Maugars was at risk of being let go because she had raised significantly less investment than another colleague in the US - £6million compared to £29million.

According to the tribunal, Maugars, 59, argued that there must be “something more” to her redundancy as it was “so perverse and irrational, even heinous”, adding that there was a “boys club” that discriminated against her because she was an older woman.