an IBM employee who has been on sick leave for an IBM health plan since 2008 Ian Cliffordrecently tried to sue her employer for not giving her a pay raise. With inflation soaring around the world lately, many people, including Clifford, have noticed that their spending power has plummeted.
As part of Clifford’s health plan, He was entitled to 75% of his £72,037 salary. So, while on sick leave after the 25% cut, she was making a salary of £54,028. As part of the plan, he still counts as an IBM employee but is not required to do any work. Clifford’s complaint was made on the grounds that he had not received a pay raise since 2013 and that his current income would soon vanish as inflation was so high.
The purpose of the health plan, Clifford said, is to provide security for those who cannot work, but when payments are frozen at current levels, the plan does not deliver the security promised. For comparison, the average annual salary of full-time workers in the UK is £33,000 and the average salary for all employees is £27,756.
Judge Paul Housegodecided to drop the case in response to the request. He said the payment is only available to people with disabilities and therefore cannot be considered less advantageous treatment in relation to disability. In fact, he said, it’s a more advantageous treatment, not less.
According to The Telegraph, which first reported the news, Clifford now sees himself on his LinkedIn page as “medically retiredsees as ”. The lawsuit was filed by Clifford in February of this year. Clifford will continue to receive a salary until his 65th birthday, with a total payout of more than £1.5m by this time.