Goldman Sachs chief executive takes six months’ paternity leave, is sacked and sues for £3.8m for gender discrimination

Jonathan Reeves, vice president of Goldman’s compliance department in London, claims he was fired shortly after returning from vacation in 2022, according to documents prepared for a court hearing on Thursday.

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The bank denies the allegations and argues that he was fired because of years of performance problems. Reeves claims the real reason was disapproval of male employees who take long periods away from work after having children.

He “experienced members of the bank’s senior management displaying negative attitudes toward male employees who took extended periods of parental leave and toward male employees who generally struggled with child care issues,” his attorneys said in court documents.

Reeves claims he was told shortly before returning to work that his role was at risk and that he was underperforming for the first time in his 15-year career. His termination was confirmed less than five weeks later, something his lawyers said would not have happened to an “employee in an equivalent position.”

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Wall Street banks are vying to extend time off for second carers. Citigroup Inc. was among those extending parental leave this year. In the UK, new parents can usually expect more free time than in the US. The new Labor government also plans to extend the right to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from day one of employment, bringing both in line with maternity leave.

“Goldman Sachs introduced a market-leading right to 26 weeks of paid parental leave for all new parents in 2019 and we encourage all of our employees to take advantage of this,” a spokesman for the bank said in a statement on the dispute. “This leave benefits both working fathers and working mothers.”

Goldman’s lawyers said in court papers that criticism of his performance was based on his role and not because he was a man, with his performance being compared to the performance of both male and female colleagues. They said that after Reeves was fired, the company learned that he had committed a “serious violation” by secretly recording at least five conversations and meetings during his time as compliance officer.

Reeves’ financial claims include loss of earnings, pension contributions and the stigma of being made redundant, which he says has led to a number of failed job applications.

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