Woman‘aided boss’s affair to boost her own career’
Property developer had an ulterior motive when she encouraged the year-long relationship, tribunal hears
A PROPERTY developer helped her boss have an affair with a secretary to boost her own career, an employment tribunal heard.
Anna Prior, who earned in excess of £150,000 a year as a partner at Greycoat Real Estate in central London, advised Nick Millican, the chief executive, on how to carry out the year-long affair, the panel was told. While the affair was happening, Mrs Prior, a Cambridge graduate, arranged for her own husband and Mr Millican to talk about the challenges of “leaving his wife”.
On another occasion, Mrs Prior offered to call an abortion clinic to corroborate claims from the secretary that she was pregnant.
The tribunal heard that Mrs Prior became “actively involved” in her boss’s affair and “willingly engaged” in conversations about the relationship to help “promote her career”.
Mrs Prior later launched a £2.7million lawsuit for discrimination and harassment against Mr Millican following an argument about her future role at the company when she became pregnant. However, a judge threw out her “hopeless” claims and ordered her to pay £250,000 in legal costs.
Mrs Prior became a partner at the company in April 2018 and enjoyed perks of monthly payments of up to £12,500 and profit shares of £150,000 a year. Seven months later she hired a woman, referred to only as CH, as her personal assistant. Towards the end of the year Mr Millican, who was married with children, began an affair with the PA. Fully “aware” of their relationship, Mrs Prior “willingly engaged” in conversations with both of them about it, often giving advice, the panel heard.
On New Year’s Day in 2019, while on a skiing trip, Mrs Prior sent Mr Millican a message, describing a family break-up as part of the “rich tapestry of life”.
Mrs Prior, after meeting CH, urged Mr Millican to “follow his heart” and added that she was “happy to help, no matter what”. However, later that month, Mr Millican broke things off with CH, the tribunal heard.
The tribunal heard how Mrs Prior then, following a request from her boss, facilitated CH’S willing exit from the company. When CH told Mr Millican she was pregnant and planned to have a termination, he told Mrs Prior of his “scepticism” and that he thought it was a “fairytale”. He hired a private detective, who reported CH as spending “only a short period” at the clinic.
Mrs Prior agreed with CH to feign pregnancy to find out how long a termination would take. In Oct 2019, Mrs Prior and Mr Millican met in a pub where they had a “v v positive” conversation in which she was told she could have “full maternity leave on full pay for as long as I want” if she got pregnant.
In March 2020, Mrs Prior announced she was pregnant and gave birth in October. However, she refused to come back to work after maternity leave following an argument about her returning role. In February 2022, the company attempted to negotiate a payoff for her to leave, yet this was rejected and the lawsuit was launched.
She made claims of sex discrimination and harassment relating to her treatment by Mr Millican during his affair as well as other claims of pregnancy discrimination, victimisation and harassment. The tribunal dismissed her claims, however.
Employment Judge Graeme Hodgson said Mrs Prior’s decision not to return to work “was her choice”. He added: “We observe that the allegations on which the claim for significant financial loss were based were hopeless.”