A property management firm based in London must pay a woman who briefly joined its workforce £90,000 after an employment tribunal found it guilty of discrimination on the grounds of sex.

Fong Fong Lee had attended an interview for a senior marketing role at R&F Properties QS which paid £68,500 a year. The company has a London base (main image) but is headquartered in China.

The firm, which describes itself as a lettings and property management company but is also involved in property development, formally offered Lee the job during September 2022 following an interview and then asked her to attend a meeting a month later after she had given notice at her previous employer. She was due to start at the firm the month afterwards.

Children

During this meeting she was asked by one member of the R&F Properties team about the ages of her children, and Lee said one was four years old and the other, one. Six days later the job offer was withdrawn, an Employment Tribunal in South London heard.

Giving evidence at the hearing R&F Properties said the reason for the job offer withdrawal was due to a head office recruitment freeze and that questions about her children were to “build rapport”.

But the Tribunal found in favour of Lee, finding her to be “a straightforward and honest witness” who had been “deflated, confused and frightened” after the role at R&F Properties was withdrawn despite her having signed a contract.

She was awarded £61,634 for loss of earnings plus £29,963 for injury to feelings.

The Tribunal said: “Losing her job threw her into a state of panic, humiliation and upset due to the instability the unexpected news caused and made her worry about whether she should hide the fact she has young children from prospective employers.

“We accepted that it would have been more difficult and upsetting to try to find employment from a position of being unemployed and that she felt compelled to take a lower paid, more family friendly, position. We were encouraged that she has now found a position that she is happy in.”

Read more about sex discrimination at property firms.