HSBC bank boss accused of trying to ‘destroy’ lover after affair ended
Tribunal hears claims that senior manager sexually harassed colleague and ‘pervasive culture’ existed
A SENIOR manager at HSBC has been accused of being on “a mission to destroy” his colleague after she ended their affair.
Madeleine Luckham claims that Robert Clegg subjected her to a campaign of sexual harassment, alleging that the bank tolerated a “pervasive culture of sexism” in the workplace.
She made the accusation at an employment tribunal in which she claims that Mr Clegg sexually harassed her after she called an end to their affair.
Ms Luckman, 38, told Stratford employment tribunal in east London: “The point is that he was on a mission to destroy me. He had made it abundantly clear that I was both professionally and personally worthless. He had objectified me and every other woman around us. He was destroying my reputation and spreading lies about me.”
Ms Luckham, who was head of delivery at HSBC Digital, told the tribunal: “At HSBC women only have a voice if there is a stronger male voice behind them. There is a pervasive culture of sexism at HSBC in which women are objectified by their male colleagues, ignored when complaints are raised by them and frozen out of the business when they are perceived as ‘difficult’.”
Ms Luckham, from Teddington, south-west London, said that when she ended their affair he began to harass her – leering at her breasts and touching her in public.
Ms Luckham, who earned £550 a day as a contractor, claims she was promised a permanent job on a £130,000 salary, but that this failed to materialise after they broke up and claims Mr Clegg, the global head of HSBC staff digitalisation, turned against her.
She said they split up after a sixmonth affair on April 10 2018, but that she first had doubts the previous Christmas after a trip to New York, when she realised she would “break the hearts” of his four young children.
Alleging that a number of women at the bank had nicknamed Mr Clegg “Weinstein”, Ms Luckman also claims that Mr Clegg stalked another female member of staff.
Ms Luckham claims that on May 1 she discovered that the permanent role she had accepted in writing with a £130,000 salary was no longer available. But the tribunal was also told Ms Luckham was given until May 21 to apply for the role but did not do so.
She alleges that a few days later Mr Clegg, 48, indicated that she should leave HSBC because he could not afford to do so himself. However, the tribunal heard Mr Clegg later texted her: “I do not want anyone to leave HSBC. You are my friend and I want to fully support you.” Mr Clegg, from Newbury, Berks, told the tribunal he ended the affair in January 2018 during a joint work trip to Hong Kong where Ms Luckham had made snide comments about him in a bid to embarrass him.
Both HSBC and Mr Clegg deny sex discrimination against Ms Luckham.