An experienced designer for high street fashion store Superdry has won almost £100,000 in compensation after her bosses refused to promote her - because they thought she was too old to quit. Knitwear expert Rachel Sunderland was deemed a low 'flight risk' from the company compared to younger members of staff and would stay 'no matter how she was treated', an employment tribunal heard.
As a result, she was repeatedly passed over for promotion in favour of other colleagues with less experience until she felt forced to resign. Ms Sunderland - thought to be in her early 50s - has now won £96,208.70 in compensation, after winning claims of unfair dismissal and age discrimination.
The tribunal heard she was a knitwear design specialist with more than 30 years experience in the fashion industry at brands like Fang Bros and Boden before joining Superdry as a designer in 2015. In the first season in which she was responsible for designing Superdry's range of men’s knitwear, sales – which had been falling - increased by 63 per cent.
