Latest news with #StanislavStepchuk
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Married city banker sacked after brief affair with junior colleague claims she became ‘unhinged' when she learned his wife was pregnant, tribunal hears
A married city banker who was sacked over an affair with a junior colleague claims she became increasingly 'sinister and unhinged' after finding out his wife was pregnant. Stanislav Stepchuk, a former director at Merrill Lynch, is suing the US investment giant for sex and age discrimination after it dismissed him for 'reckless and inappropriate' behaviour. He claims the bank decided it was 'safer' to get rid of him, a man in his 30s, than a woman in her 20s. At an employment tribunal in London, Mr Stepchuk said the woman pursued him relentlessly at the bank, her first job after university, in 2022. Talia Barsam, for Mr Stepchuk, said the woman - known as Colleague A - became 'increasingly hostile' when Mr Stepchuk tried to break off their 'brief, consensual relationship'. When he told her that his wife was pregnant, the woman began to 'taunt and threaten' him with 'sinister and unhinged remarks', it was claimed. She sent him text messages including 'any lie is suicide' and 'you need to stay alive to take care of your family'. On one occasion, it's claimed, Colleague A told Mr Stepchuk she would not mind being a 'murderer' of his unborn child. Merrill Lynch is an investment and wealth management subsidiary of Bank of America, with offices in the City of London Ms Barsam said: 'In contrast to the support received by Colleague A, [Mr Stepchuk's] concerns regarding Colleague A's threats were ignored. The difference in treatment is explained by [his] sex and age.' She said the decision to sack him was 'rooted in discriminatory and gendered assumptions about the way men and women conduct sexual relationships', adding Merrill Lynch had assumed a man in his 30s was more likely to be 'the aggressor in a sexual dynamic' and a woman in her 20s 'an innocent victim'. The tribunal heard Mr Stepchuk invited the woman to a WhatsApp chat on January 3 2023. Within an hour, he started sending her overtly sexual messages. Days later he sent her two intimate photos of himself and persistently asked her to send nudes, which she declined. Claire Darwin KC, for Merrill Lynch, suggested the woman had been shocked and uncomfortable by the advances. But Mr Stepchuk insisted: 'She was engaged in flirtatious behaviour and showed no sign of discomfort about me sending the messages. The day before she said she wanted to have sex with me even though she knew I was married. 'It was clear to me that she liked me and was attracted to me. The way she looked at me, her invitation to go for a drink, her chats with me in the office - she was pursuing advances towards me. I did not pursue her.' Asked about a message the woman had sent him revealing she was a virgin, Mr Stepchuck said: 'She was throwing more coal on the fire. When she found out my wife was out of town, she immediately asked me for a date.' Ms Darwin suggested he was lying about the woman making the first move, telling him: 'You realised that unless you an invented an invitation, the aggressive way you went about approaching Colleague A was reckless, risky and inappropriate.' The tribunal continues.
Toronto Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Ex-banker fired for 'serious misconduct' after office affair files discrimination suit
Ex-Merrill Lynch director dismissed for threatening female subordinate while wife was pregnant Stanislav Stepchuk is suing American investment bank Merrill Lynch for sex discrimination. Photo by Stanislav Stepchuk / LinkedIn A former banker in England is suing for sex discrimination after he was dismissed from his job for having an affair with a younger colleague while his wife was pregnant. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Stanislav Stepchuk was working as a director at American investment bank Merrill Lynch in London when he began messaging the underling in January 2023. Days later, he sent the woman an unsolicited 'intimate photograph' of himself. According to Britain's Daily Mail , Stepchuk told an employment tribunal they texted each other 'sexually explicit and highly personal' exchanges on WhatsApp. In one message, the woman — referred in employment court as Colleague A — revealed she was a virgin who wasn't experienced in bed. During the hearing, the employment tribunal heard they began a relationship and were intimate twice. But by August 2023, Stepchuk said he tried to end the tryst after learning his wife was pregnant. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Stepchuk claimed the woman responded to his request with 'hostility, taunts and threats' and that if she revealed the relationship to the bank it would affect his wife, her pregnancy, his child, his parents and possibly put his life in danger. Despite Stepchuk's allegations, an internal review by the bank found he threatened her and they fired him for engaging in an office romance. 'He was terminated for serious misconduct, including acting inappropriately while pursuing sexual relations with a junior colleague and threatening her for complaining to our human resources team,' a Merrill Lynch spokesperson told the outlet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The bank went through a robust disciplinary process before dismissing. His claims were thoroughly investigated and found to have absolutely no merit.' Stepchuk, now a father of two, filed a lawsuit against Merrill Lynch alleging sex discrimination and harassment, age discrimination and unfair dismissal. He accused the bank of not fairly investigating his grievance. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Stepchuk's identity became public knowledge during a preliminary hearing after an employment judge was asked to rule on whether their names would be kept private. The judge decided that revealing her name was 'irrelevant' to the dispute, while Stepchuk's identity couldn't be protected because he publicly brought the action to the court. 'I consider the expectation of privacy lower in an extramarital affair at work, where the risk of discovery is acknowledged by (Mr. Stepchuk) and Colleague A in the WhatsApp messages,' Judge Christabel McCooey said. 'However, as a third party to these proceedings, I do not find it foreseeable that discussion of her sexual inexperience would be before a public employment tribunal.' Toronto & GTA Olympics Columnists Toronto Maple Leafs Basketball
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Married banker sacked over affair with his co-worker sues for sex discrimination
A married banker who was sacked over an affair with a junior colleague has sued his employer for discriminating against him 'because he was more senior and male', a tribunal has heard. Stanislav Stepchuk was dismissed for misconduct after a disciplinary procedure found that he had acted inappropriately in pursuing sexual relations with the co-worker, an employment judge was told. Stepchuk ended his affair with the junior colleague – referred to as Colleague A – in the summer of 2023 after learning that his wife was pregnant, the London Central Employment Tribunal heard during a preliminary hearing last month. Stepchuk is now suing his employer for direct sex and age discrimination, sex-related harassment, and unfair dismissal. 'The claimant says the respondent discriminated against him (and that) its approach was 'tainted' by discriminatory assumptions that because he was more senior and male, he was a perpetrator of sexual misconduct,' employment judge Christabel McCooey wrote in her reserved judgment published on Monday. Stepchuk worked at Merrill Lynch, an American wealth management firm, from March 2018 until the termination of his employment in January 2024, the judge was told. In January 2023, Stepchuk, then a director at the firm, and Colleague A began exchanging WhatsApp messages, with Stepchuk sending her an intimate photograph of himself four days into their exchange, the tribunal heard. In those messages, Colleague A disclosed that she was a virgin and 'lacked any sexual experience', the judge was told. The pair were reportedly intimate on two occasions before Stepchuk ended their relationship. This caused Colleague A to respond with 'hostility and taunts', Stepchuk claimed before the tribunal. He further claimed Colleague A threatened him on several occasions 'by suggesting that a disclosure of their relationship to (his employer) would have consequences for his wife, the continuation of her pregnancy, his child, and his parents and that his life may be in danger.' Colleague A raised a formal grievance against Stepchuk on August 8 2023, in which she claimed he had 'sexually harassed her and threatened her when she said she would be informing HR about her concerns,' the tribunal heard. Although Stepchuk was dismissed for misconduct, the employer did not uphold Colleague A's complaint of sexual harassment, finding the relationship had been consensual, the tribunal heard. During the hearing on June 3, Stepchuk asked for his colleague's name to be made public but requested for his own identity to be protected, telling the tribunal that he became 'particularly upset in the asymmetry' that Colleague A would be granted anonymity but he and his family would not. His request was however dismissed, with Judge McCooey telling the hearing: 'The claimant's opposition has the flavour of wanting to punish Colleague A for her alleged behaviour by 'naming and shaming' her. 'I consider it a significant factor that, unlike Colleague A, the claimant has chosen to bring these proceedings. 'It is not unreasonable to regard the person who initiates proceedings as having accepted the normal incidence of the public nature of court proceedings.' The case is scheduled for another hearing on July 16.
Metro
09-07-2025
- Metro
Banker sues over sacking after cheating on his pregnant wife with colleague
A senior banker who cheated on his pregnant wife with a junior colleague is suing for sex discrimination after he was sacked over the affair. Stanislav Stepchuk, who was a director at American investment bank Merrill Lynch, sent an unsolicited X-rated photo to the younger woman just four days after they began messaging each other. The pair then entered a relationship, which lasted several months, before Stepchuk ended it when he found out his wife was pregnant. An employee tribunal heard that Stepchuk claimed the junior colleague responded with 'hostility', 'taunts' and 'threats' that his life may be in danger. But an internal disciplinary process found that the father-of-two had been the one to threaten her before the bank sacked him for 'acting inappropriately' by embarking on the affair. Now, Stepchuk is suing Merrill Lynch International for sex discrimination and harassment, age discrimination, and unfair dismissal. Details of the affair emerged during a preliminary hearing to determine if Stepchuk or his junior colleague were entitled to anonymity. Stepchuk's plea to keep his name a secret to 'protect his family' was denied by the judge, but the woman was granted anonymity. The tribunal, held in Central London, heard that Stepchuk became a director at the financial institution in March 2018, before beginning to exchange 'explicit and personal' messages with the colleague in January 2023. In these messages, she told him she was a virgin who lacked sexual experience. Just four days into their communications, he sent her an unsolicited 'intimate photograph' of himself. The tribunal heard that the pair were sexually intimate on two occasions, during which Stepchuk was married. After breaking off the affair upon learning of his wife's pregnancy, Stepchuk alleged the colleague said she would disclose the relationship to the bank and threatened 'consequences' for his wife, pregnancy, his child and his parents. Merrill Lynch International said its HR team had spoken to the woman as early as March 2023 about sexual harassment by Stepchuk. In August, she raised a formal grievance alleging that she had been sexually harassed and that Stepchuk had threatened her when she said she was going to HR. More Trending In January 2024, the banker was dismissed following a disciplinary procedure which found he had 'acted inappropriately' in pursuing a sexual relationship with the colleague and had threatened her. However, they did not uphold the complaint of sexual harassment, finding the relationship had been consensual. Stepchuk is now claiming he was discriminated against by a failure to investigate his grievance. He also says the bank's approach was 'tainted' by the assumption that he was the perpetrator as a more senior man, but Merrill Lynch says his dismissal was 'proper'. A full hearing to determine the outcome of Stepchuk's case will be held later this month. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: First picture of boy, 12, killed after fire ripped through block of flats MORE: NHS blood-carrying drones plan branded crazy by Londoners MORE: Monzo fined £21,000,000 after customers claim to live at 10 Downing Street
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Married banker sacked over affair with colleague sues for sex discrimination
A married City banker sued for sex discrimination after he was sacked over his affair with a junior colleague. Stanislav Stepchuk, who was a director at American investment bank Merrill Lynch, was in a relationship with the woman for several months but broke it off when he learnt his pregnant wife was expecting. He sent an unsolicited explicit photo to the younger woman four days after they began messaging each other. He claims that after the breakup the junior colleague responded with 'hostility', 'taunts' and 'threats' that his life may be in danger. An internal disciplinary process found the father-of-two had actually been the one to threaten her and sacked him for 'acting inappropriately' by embarking on the affair. Mr Stepchuk is suing Merrill Lynch International for sex discrimination and harassment, age discrimination, and unfair dismissal. Details of the affair emerged during a preliminary hearing to determine if Mr Stepchuk or his junior colleague were entitled to anonymity. While he demanded that her identity be made public, he applied to have his name remain a secret to protect his family - a request that was denied by a judge. The tribunal, held in Central London, heard Mr Stepchuk became a director at the financial institution in March 2018. In January 2023 he began exchanging 'sexually explicit and highly personal' WhatsApp messages with a junior known only as Colleague A. In these messages, she told him she was a virgin who lacked sexual experience. Just four days into their communications he sent her an unsolicited 'intimate photograph' of himself. The tribunal heard that the pair were sexually intimate on two occasions. Mr Stepchuk was married at the time and tried to break things off in summer 2023 when he learnt that his wife was pregnant, the hearing was told. He alleges that at the start of August, Colleague A responded to his attempts to withdraw from the relationship with 'hostility, taunts and threats'. The banker told the tribunal that she suggested that if she disclosed the relationship to their employer it would have 'consequences' for his wife, her pregnancy, his child, and his parents and even put his life in danger. Merrill Lynch International say their HR team had spoken to Colleague A as early as March 2023 about sexual harassment by Mr Stepchuk. In August she raised a formal grievance alleging that she had been sexually harassed and that Mr Stepchuk had threatened her when she said she was going to HR. In January 2024 the banker was dismissed following a disciplinary procedure, which found he had 'acted inappropriately' in pursuing a sexual relationship with Colleague A, and had threatened her. However, they did not uphold the complaint of sexual harassment, finding the relationship had been consensual. At the tribunal, Mr Stepchuk claims that he was discriminated against by a failure to investigate his grievance and that their approach was 'tainted' by the assumption that he was the perpetrator as a more senior man. The bank says his dismissal was 'wholly proper'.
