Smutty banker awarded compensation

A UK banker who was sacked by Lehman Brothers for sending pornographic emails has won a case for unfair dismissal after accusing his former employers of double standards given they had previously entertained staff at a party with female strippers.

Bruce Sangster, 49, had a £57,000 per year job at Lehman Brothers before he was caught emailing smutty photographs to friends, at which point he was sacked for gross misconduct.

While the tribunal agreed with this assessment of Sangster's actions, it also stated that he had not been properly informed about the email policy within the bank, and as such his sacking was unfounded.

The ruling said that staff within the bank had probably been "lulled into a false sense that inappropriate behaviour of the kind that he indulged in might be tolerated". This comment referred to Sangster's accusation of double standards at Lehman Brothers where he claimed staff were treated to strip shows on two different occasions at company parties.

Sangster now stands to receive a compensation payment of several thousands of pounds - though the tribunal said it would have been more if his sacking had been less deserved. It stressed in its ruling that despite the legal victory Sangster was still largely the architect of his own downfall.

As such he will only receive 25 per cent of all compensation payments due to him.

Lehman Brothers is considering an appeal against the ruling.

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