Barclays’ former Global Head of Race at Work has defended her decision not to investigate further an employee complaint alleging racial, religious and sex discrimination at the British bank, an employment tribunal in London heard on Wednesday.
Nazia Lawrence, a Barclays (BARC.L), opens new tab vice president, is suing the British bank for about 230,000 pounds ($290,000), alleging she was passed over for promotion because of the discrimination.
Lawrence works in execution services, a back office part of the bank that helps to implement post-crisis risk management rules. It also handles risk and controls.
Azura Mason, previously the Global Head of Race at Work and now a director in the investment bank’s chief compliance office, reviewed an internal appeal that Lawrence made after she became dissatisfied with the preliminary inquiry the bank had made into her complaints.
Mason said she saw no suggestion of favoritism or discrimination or bullying and therefore, decided not to investigate further.
“It was a matter that was deeply important to me…to not leave an employee or colleague feeling as if I hadn’t investigated the situation,” Mason said.
It was sufficient to interview Lawrence and the three managers who were the subject of the complaint, rather than a wider list of employees, she said.