12 August 2026

Tariro Carmel Nyoka featured in the press on £1.45m parental leave discrimination rulin

Tariro Carmel Nyoka, Senior Associate in our Employment team, has written for theHRDIRECTOR on one of the most significant recent Employment Tribunal decisions on parental leave and sex discrimination.

In Mr J Reeves v Goldman Sachs International, the Tribunal awarded approximately £1.45 million after finding that Goldman Sachs had unfairly dismissed Mr Reeves and directly discriminated against him because he took an extended period of contractual parental leave.

A consistently top-rated performer who had previously been identified as a future Managing Director, Mr Reeves was removed from meetings and organisational charts while on leave, described as an underperformer for the first time despite positive appraisals, had his remuneration reduced, and was the only employee in his business area selected for redundancy. The Tribunal accepted that stereotypical assumptions about men’s childcare responsibilities had influenced his treatment, and concluded that a woman taking equivalent leave connected with childbirth or childcare would not have been treated in the same way.

Tariro writes that the decision is an important reminder that employees taking parental leave are entitled to “the same career opportunities and treatment as colleagues who remain at work”.

“Decisions about promotion, restructuring, performance management and redundancy must be based on objective evidence rather than assumptions about an employee’s future commitment or availability.”

On the efficacy of family leave policies, Tariro states: “The judgment also demonstrates that simply having a generous family leave policy is not enough. Goldman Sachs offered up to 26 weeks’ paid parental leave, but the Tribunal found that the way Mr Reeves was treated while exercising that entitlement was discriminatory. Family-friendly policies are only effective if they are implemented consistently and without employees suffering detriment for using them.”

Read Tariro’s Article:
Employment tribunal awards £1.45 million following Goldman Sachs discrimination claim