Why was the Citibank employee fired? Szabolcs Fekete lawsuit explained as judge provides verdict

A Citibank employee from London was fired from his position for lying about his lunch expenses while on a company trip to Amsterdam in July last year. Szabolcs Fekete, the former financial analyst for Citibank, then tried to sue the bank by going for a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.

However, the lawsuit was dismissed by Employment Judge Caroline Illing in a September 19, 2023 ruling. The complaint for wrongful and unfair dismissal was declared to be "not well founded." Fekete, who initially claimed that the trip expenses only accounted for his spendings, later admitted that he had taken his partner on the trip and that he also classified her meal expenses as his.

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Citibank employee's web of lies explored amid his lawsuit dismissal

Szabolcs Fekete was a Citibank employee who worked as a senior financial analyst for Citibank in the field of financial crime. Fekete was on a company trip to Amsterdam in July 2022. However, after returning from Amsterdam, Fekete went on a six-week medical leave immediately.

The analyst filed an expense claim for what he had allegedly consumed during his trip, once he had returned to work. Having shared his bill for two sandwiches, two coffees, and two pasta dishes, the Citibank employee believed that his expenses were well within the company's €100 allowance.

However, Fekete's claim was rejected as the company believed that the expenses were for two people and that he needed to name the person he was with to successfully claim his allowance. According to an email reply, as stated in the court documents, Fekete replied that his claim had nothing out of order. He explained that he was on the trip himself. He further stated:

"I had 2 coffees as they were very small."

On being asked once again, if the food was also consumed by him, Fekete elaborated:

"I skipped breakfast and only had 1 coffee in the morning. For lunch I had 1 sandwich with a drink and 1 coffee in the restaurant, and took another coffee back to the office with me and had the second sandwich in the afternoon… which also served as my dinner."

The company reportedly told the Citibank employee once again that all attendees to the meals had to be added. Fekete, however, defended his position by asserting that all expenses were within his €100 daily allowance. He further stated in his email reply to company officials:

"I don’t think I have to justify my eating habits to this extent…"

The bank stressed the fact that the inquiry was not because he exceeded his allowance but due to the company's expense management policy, which does not provide reimbursement for spousal travel and meals. The policy also stated that all attendees whose meals were submitted for reimbursement had to be listed on the claim.

The employee vehemently denied that he was with someone before eventually conceding (Photo by Miquel Parera on Unsplash)

The Citibank employee was subjected to a round of questioning by the bank's security and investigations department, before he finally agreed that his partner had traveled with him. However, he continued to insist that all the meals detailed in the claim were consumed by him. Employment Judge Illing, who preceded the case, found that the employee refused to answer direct questions.

Despite his vehement denial, he later admitted that he had shared his meals with his partner and had misunderstood the bank's expense policy. Court documents revealed that he did not want to admit the same due to privacy reasons. Fekete said that he replied to the email queries while under strong medication and was also grieving for his grandmother, who had recently passed away.

The Citibank employee was fired for breaching company policy and gross misconduct (Image via Citibank)

Fekete also claimed to have been stressed by the investigation. Due to his actions, the Citibank employee had breached the Citi Expense Management Policy. Apart from the breach, he also continued to claim that he had consumed all the meals, which was labeled as Gross Misconduct, which led to his dismissal. Fekete took the bank to court and filed for unfair and wrongful dismissal.

However, Employment Judge Illing who presided over the case ruled in favor of Citibank. The judge said in the ruling that this was not about the money involved but was largely due to the filing of the claim and the conduct of the employee. The judge stated in the court documents:

"There was an obligation upon the claimant to own up and rectify the position at the first opportunity. I accept that the respondent requires a commitment to honesty from it’s employees."

The judge further stated:

"It is significant that the claimant did not make a full and frank disclosure at the first opportunity and that he did not answer questions directly."

Judge Illing confirmed that the Citibank employee's dismissal was substantively and procedurally fair. According to the judge, this was a "reasonable response by a reasonable employer." A Citibank spokesperson told multiple media outlets that they were "pleased with the decision."