Ms M Saha v Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited Heard in-person at London Central — 2024

The Claimant, Ms M Saha, was employed by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited as a Financial Accountant from 11 December 2017 until her dismissal on 10 February 2023. She brought claims of equal pay, direct sex and race discrimination, harassment on grounds of race, victimisation, and unfair dismissal. The hearing took place over multiple days in March 2024 before Employment Judge Nicolle sitting with non-legal members Mr J Carroll and Mr P De Chaumont-Rambert.

On the unfair dismissal claim, the Tribunal found the Claimant was dismissed for some other substantial reason, namely an irreconcilable breakdown in the relationship of trust and confidence. The Tribunal concluded the decision to dismiss was within the band of reasonable responses, the procedure followed was fair, and the Claimant's written representations had been taken into account. The Respondent's primary concerns related to the Claimant's repeated contentions that the Respondent and its external legal advisors had deliberately or fraudulently withheld or manipulated comparator pay data, contentions the Claimant continued to make notwithstanding earlier tribunal findings that the Respondent had been negligent but not dishonest in the provision of pay data.

The Tribunal dismissed all discrimination, harassment, victimisation and equal pay claims on their substantive grounds. On time limits, the Tribunal found certain race discrimination matters were out of time as discrete acts, and the Claimant provided no evidence as to why it would be just and equitable to extend time. The Tribunal recorded that the majority of the Claimant's claims were, in its view, wholly misconceived.