Chloe Moffat’s parents consider lawsuit against UK Treasury
The parents of 26-year-old Chloe Moffat are considering filing a lawsuit against the UK Treasury after a coroner concluded that the department had “materially contributed” to her death. The Guardian reports.
Moffat worked as a personal assistant at the Treasury for nearly three years. In May, she came to work after a weekend off, was planning a holiday with her sister and dinner with friends. That same day, she was unexpectedly invited to a disciplinary meeting with her manager and the manager’s superior. The following morning, Moffat died.
According to the coroner’s findings, the meeting caused the employee severe distress and a belief that she would lose her job. She was told about anonymous complaints alleging that she had disclosed confidential information, which she denied. At the same time, she was not told that the likely outcome of the disciplinary process would have been a written warning, nor was she informed of her right to bring someone to the meeting for support or advice.
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The coroner also identified a risk of further deaths due to the department’s procedure for conducting disciplinary processes and issued a report on preventing future deaths. The Treasury is required to respond to this document.
The deceased woman’s parents, David and Anne Moffat, said they had received no personal condolences or apology from the department following the coroner’s findings. According to them, a lawsuit may be a way to secure acknowledgement. The family also said that Treasury representatives at the hearings insisted that Moffat’s death be recorded as suicide with circumstances not determined.
The Treasury expressed condolences to the family and said it was seriously considering the coroner’s findings. It noted that it had already made changes to guidance, support mechanisms and employee wellbeing measures, but acknowledged the need for further action to prevent such a case from happening again.
