An employment tribunal has ruled former London P&I Club associate director Helena Biggs is entitled to compensation after being unfairly dismissed from her position in 2018.

In a detailed 111-page ruling, the tribunal outlined Biggs’s grievances with London P&I manager A Bilbrough & Co during her employment.

The claims included allegations of discriminatory language and unequal pay.

The East London employment tribunal ruled some of Biggs's complaints of “direct sex discrimination, victimisation and harassment succeeded”.

“Naturally we are disappointed with the outcome of the recent tribunal, which we feel does not accurately reflect the culture, operations or activities of A Bilbrough & Co,” London P&I Club chief executive Ian Gooch said of the ruling. “We are currently investigating options for appeal. As the proceedings are not yet complete we are unable to comment further.”

Biggs joined the London P&I Club in 2003 as a qualified lawyer and a senior claims executive. She was appointed associate director in 2010.

However, her relationship with her employers deteriorated when she discovered a male colleague in the same position was earning around £2,000 ($2,494) a year more.

The gender pay gap, which was later rectified, was one of the factors that led to a deteriorating working relationship with some of her colleagues, including her direct manager Steve Roberts and claims director Ian Barr.

Biggs complained that management were inadequately appraising her performance.

Omitted from claims

She also felt aggrieved when omitted from major claims which she was professionally interested to follow such as the grounding of the 44,000-dwt bulk carrier Benita (built 1998) in 2016.

Biggs was also taken off working with the Greek fleet.

The situation worsened when Biggs requested reduced hours and more time working from home as she attempted to juggle a high-pressure work life with bringing up two children as a single mother.

Biggs took time off with stress related illness and was referred to the National Health Service with “severe anxiety and severe depression”.

In her claim, Biggs outlined discriminatory language in the work place when she became known as a “ballbreaker” for her drive at work.

Her responsibilities included appraising staff, for which she felt she was not qualified. Bigg's direct manager Roberts agreed to send her on an Open University management course while the London P&I Club also funded a master's in business administration course.

She said Roberts had described her as “pushy” for which he later apologised. Biggs also alleges Roberts told her to “use her charm” when discussing her position at work with him.

However, she said that her situation at work had left her feeling “emotionally exhausted, shattered and not feeling robust.”

The hearing ruled that Roberts had made “negative statements about the claimant’s ambition, drive and hard work”.

Claims manager Barr was also described, in the ruling, as making “comments which we considered stereotyped women or were derogatory”.

There was also an internal quarrel over the handling of a cargo claim related to the 27,000-dwt general cargoship Esteem C (built 1986), which led to a breakdown of relationships and Biggs eventual dismissal in 2018.

The court ruled Biggs had been dismissed by A Billbrough’s directors “as she had challenged their authority and caused them difficulties”.

The tribunal will decided on compensation at a later date.