Former HR boss at the Royal Mint wins £1.7m payout after tribunal claim

Sarah Bradley, who was part of the Royal Mint team from 2009 to 2022, served as the director of human resources in her last seven years

A former HR boss at the Royal Mint is seeking a £1.7m payout after winning a tribunal claim against the coin maker.

The employment judge ruled the firm based in Llantrisant, Wales discriminated against Sarah Bradley by not allowing her to take back her resignation from her high-flying £123,000-a-year role. Ms Bradley, who was part of the Royal Mint team from 2009 to 2022, served as the director of human resources in her last seven years with the government-owned manufacturer, which boasts over 900 staff members.

The 57-year-old did not hold back in her criticism of the Royal Mint's CEO Anne Jessopp, who was recently honoured with a CBE, accusing her of disability and sex discrimination in her claim. While the Cardiff tribunal threw out some parts of her case, it agreed the company had discriminated against Mrs Bradley on the grounds of her disability. Suffering from depression, anxiety, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Mrs Bradley had been adjusting to new medication which impacted her mental state before she handed in her notice in June 2022.

Judge Moore pointed out that the Royal Mint failed to adequately consider how Mrs Bradley's mental health issues and ADHD influenced her decision to resign. The judge highlighted that if the company had properly investigated, they would have understood the influence of her ADHD "problem areas" such as "impulsiveness" and "extreme reactions to criticisms" on her decision to leave.

Mrs Bradley, who is now a consultant at the professional services firm Turner and Townsend, opened up to WalesOnline about her relief at the decision but the ongoing heartbreak over how she was treated. She told WalesOnline: "I am so relieved at the decision but remain heartbroken at how I was treated.

"I have been and will continue to be a passionate advocate for mental health. It need not be a barrier and I had 13 extremely successful years at the mint, eventually being appointed to a director position. If only they'd allowed a short time to let my meds be corrected, well, as I used to joke with my husband, they'd only have got me out of there in a box. The only consolation is I soon secured another full-time job in January 2023 and I am finding there is a good life to be enjoyed elsewhere."

During the tribunal, Mrs Bradley claimed Mrs Jessopp was fully aware of her struggles with mental health following two bereavements and additional serious family health issues. Before she decided to leave, Mrs Bradley had proffered her resignation twice due to issues with her mental health, both times were dismissed by Mrs Jessop who clearly recognised she was unwell. On each occasion, Mrs Bradley took two weeks' sick leave instead.

Mrs Bradley also admitted her mental health issues "sometimes had a negative effect on her relationships with others", however, she was backed-up by colleagues, received positive performance reviews, promotions, and additional responsibility. Only a few weeks before she resigned, she was given a 6.25% salary increase by the mint's board; this propelled her annual salary to approximately £123,000 with bonuses that could reach up to 30%.

Mrs Bradley, after being labelled a "bully" by a colleague, made a rash decision driven by "impulsive decision purely out of emotion, anxiety, and humiliation". She recounted: "Without thinking about it I walked straight into Anne's office and told her that I had told [another colleague] that I was leaving and that Anne better tell everyone else." She admitted: "I was on a really good package which it would make no sense to walk away from by resigning."

Her husband was "very worried" upon discovering she had quit, as she had never mentioned retiring before 65. After submitting her three-month notice and an email to confirm her resignation, Mrs Bradley soon regretted her action. In early July 2022, she reached out to Mrs Jessopp: "Please can we talk today? I need help... Thank you xx".

At the tribunal, Mrs Bradley shared her emotional plea to Anne Jessopp on July 11: "When I saw [Anne Jessopp] face to face on July 11 I was sobbing saying that I needed help and to see a psychiatrist and that I did not want to go. I stated that I needed help and more time to allow all the changes to the medication to start working... Anne kept repeating: 'Oh Sarah, oh Sarah' and seemed angry and exasperated... I suggested I could take things on a month-by-month basis but asked that she give me some time and to stop the recruitment process... I left the meeting feeling she was going to consider my request."

Mrs Bradley's claim stated Mrs Jessopp said the resignation could not be rescinded and that she had "made her decision and

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