Citibank has won an employment tribunal case brought by an analyst it sacked for claiming expenses for meals he shared with his partner, and then lying about it.
Szabolcs Fekete, a senior analyst, sued the bank for unfair dismissal after he submitted expenses for two sandwiches, two coffees, a drink, and two pasta dishes that he claimed to have eaten by himself on a work trip to Amsterdam in July 2022.
According to the ruling last month by a UK employment tribunal, which was published on Friday and first reported by the Financial Times on Monday, "the claimant was employed in a position of trust in a global financial institution." "I am satisfied that even if the expense had been filed under a misunderstanding, there was an obligation upon the claimant to own up and rectify the position at first opportunity. I accept that the respondent requires a commitment to honesty from its employees," employment judge Illing said in the ruling.
"All my expenses are within the €100 daily allowance. Could you please outline what your concern is as I don't think I have to justify my eating habits to this extent," Fekete said.During an internal investigation, Fekete said that, when he had initially denied sharing the meals with his partner, he had been experiencing personal difficulties, including grieving the recent death of his grandmother, and had been taking strong medication.