Treasury "materially contributed" to staff suicide, coroner finds

The Treasury "materially contributed" to the death of Chloe Moffat, a 26-year-old personal assistant who took her own life after facing disciplinary proceedings, a coroner has determined. The ruling also highlighted a risk of future deaths within the civil service due to the flawed handling of such proceedings.

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I am satisfied that the shock and distress of the allegations and thinking she was going to lose her job contributed to her state of mind.

Moffat, who had worked at the Treasury for nearly three years and was described as having an "exemplary employment record," was reportedly distressed by an informal meeting concerning an anonymous complaint. The allegation was that she had informally shared information about colleagues. Moffat denied the accusation.

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I find the meeting was not in accordance with [Treasury] policy

During the disciplinary process, the Surrey coroner's court heard that Moffat was not reassured about her job security, despite the unlikelihood of dismissal. She was also denied the presence of a third party of her choice at the meeting, which was described as "informal." This process left her "devastated" and convinced she would lose her job. She died by suicide the morning after the meeting.

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It is necessary to put safeguards in place, including informing about the likely penalty and the right to be accompanied.

The coroner found that Moffat appeared well and happy before the meeting and had no prior mental health concerns. The shock and distress from the allegations and the belief she would lose her job contributed to her state of mind. The Treasury's human resources policy, in line with Acas guidelines, mandates formal processes for serious misconduct allegations to protect employees' rights, including the right to be accompanied and informed of potential outcomes. The coroner found the meeting did not comply with Treasury policy, which lacks provisions for such informal discussions, emphasizing the necessity of safeguards like informing about potential penalties and the right to accompaniment.

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she did not want Chloe to worry about it