After further questions from the head of department, Fekete replies: “All my expenses are within the daily limit of 100 euros. Could you please explain what your concern is, because I don’t think I have to justify my eating habits to such an extent.”
Internal investigation
In early August, the department manager raised the issue of the reimbursement form to Citi’s ethics department, and an internal investigative panel was appointed and questioned Fekete during a Zoom meeting that same month.
Among other things, Fekete was asked if he had shared a meal of pasta pesto and bolognese with his partner, but he denied this. A little later in August, however, Fekete admitted that his partner, who does not work at Citi, had consumed some of the food. This contributed to Citi’s investigation in October last year being able to conclude that he had breached the company’s guidelines regarding the reimbursement form and that he had lied during the internal investigation.
After a disciplinary hearing, in which Fekete claimed he had been on sick leave and on medication for several weeks after the Amsterdam trip while answering questions regarding the reimbursement form – in addition, during this period he is said to have lost a close family member – the senior analyst was fired for gross negligence in November 2022.
– A position of trust
The British judge concluded that Citi had the right to fire Fekete as he was “employed in a position of trust in a global financial institution”, and the judge should also have noted that the case was not about monetary amounts, writes the FT.
“I have accepted that the refund form may have been submitted in error. However, I believe that a dismissal linked to the accusation that an incorrect representation alone would fall within the framework of a reasonable response from a responsible employer,” writes the court in the judgement.
“Even if the refund claim had been submitted under a misunderstanding, there was an obligation on the claimant to admit and rectify the situation at the first opportunity. I accept that the defendant undertakes honesty from its employees,” the court added.
Following the decision, Citi said it was satisfied with the verdict, while Fekete did not respond to the FT’s request for comment.
2023-10-16 12:16:26
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