There have been no glaring reports of impropriety emanating from the Irish Financial Services Centre as yet, and in London's financial district, the City, there has been nothing of the dimension of the recent lawsuit by employees of Lieberbaum & Co in New York, but the atmosphere in the City is infamous for its hostility to women. The City is a domain where women may be sent home for wearing skirts that are too long and the male battle cry of "get 'em off" still echoes, but City insiders say the atmosphere is better than it was. A Cambridge researcher went undercover several years ago and found sexist jargon to be commonplace.
Women were referred to as "brass" (the same word that is used for prostitute), or a "sort" if they were deemed to be acceptable; a successful trader was called a "big swinging dick"; women were "babes" (attractive), "mums" (unattractive) or "lesbians" (feminists).
In 1995 Samantha Philips, a broker with Lloyds insurance firm, was awarded £18,000 for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination when she was sacked after rejecting the advances of a married male colleague. "He lurched on to me, swung his arm around me and made contact with my left breast. I was terrorised and shoved him off." She was referred to as "bimbo", received unrequested massages in the office and her appearance was constantly remarked upon, she said.
Meanwhile, Helen Bamber, a 32-year old City bond dealer, was awarded £81,000 in 1996 after winning a sexual discrimination case against the Japanese bank, Fuji. Bamber claimed she had been passed over for pay rises and promotion and had been forced to resign from her £43,000a-year job after rejecting her boss's sexual advances on a business trip.
Tak Yoshida, executive director of Fuji, insisted on going to her room to collect notes for the following morning's meeting. He shut the door behind him, took his jacket off and put it on the bed and said it was a very romantic evening. After unsuccessful advances, Yoshida told Bamber she had a poor attitude and should think about where she was going on her return to London.