UK Treasury must change disciplinary process after worker’s suicide, mother says
The mother of Chloe Moffat, a 26-year-old personal assistant at the UK Treasury who took her own life, has called on the department to change its disciplinary practices following her daughter's death. Moffat, who had worked at the Treasury for almost three years, "loved her job" and had an "exemplary employment record", killed herself the day after a meeting about an anonymous complaint. Her inquest heard that she was left "devastated" and convinced she had lost her job, despite being unlikely to be dismissed and having been in line for promotion and awarded a bonus she never learned about.
The inquest at Surrey coroners' court heard that Moffat was called into a meeting with her line manager and a senior manager without prior notice of its subject, where she was told of an anonymous complaint alleging she had shared confidential colleague information. She was not reassured her job was safe, was not permitted to bring her best friend or another third party, and was told not to discuss the allegations with friends. Managers defended their handling, with one saying an additional attendee would have made the meeting "more formal" and another stating advance notice "could cause unnecessary stress"; her line manager said she would not have done anything differently. The Treasury said it is piloting new advice for staff on disciplinary matters and providing managers with additional training, and the inquest continues.
- Treasury worker Chloe Moffat, 26, killed herself after a disciplinary meeting.
- She was barred from bringing a colleague and not reassured about her job.
- Her mother wants mandatory welfare checks; the Treasury is changing its procedures.
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Chloe Moffat was a 26-year-old personal assistant who had worked at the UK Treasury for nearly three years. She took her own life the day after attending a disciplinary meeting with her managers regarding an anonymous complaint made against her.
The meeting was called without advance notice and concerned allegations that she had shared confidential information about a colleague. She was not permitted to bring a friend or support person, was not reassured her job was secure, and was told not to discuss the allegations with anyone else, leaving her convinced she would lose her job.
Following her death, an official inquest was held to investigate the circumstances. Her mother has since called on the Treasury to change its disciplinary procedures, raising broader questions about how such workplace investigations are managed and what support is provided to staff during the process.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Treasury's procedures left an exemplary employee, due for promotion, convinced she faced dismissal, without reassurance about her job security, permission to bring support, or anyone to confide in. Other organisations demonstrate that procedural safeguards—advance notice, support persons, explicit reassurance—can coexist with investigating anonymous complaints properly. This case suggests the Treasury's current approach creates unnecessary psychological harm for innocent employees, warranting significant procedural reform.
The case against
Investigating complaints fairly requires some confidentiality and surprise to protect the integrity of allegations and the safety of those reporting them; advance notice risks compromising investigations and enabling witness pressure. Managers' concerns that additional attendees alter proceedings' tone and that advance notice itself causes stress reflect genuine procedural challenges. The Treasury's response of enhanced training and revised guidance addresses identified concerns whilst preserving investigative integrity. Rather than wholesale procedural overhaul, measured improvements allow balancing the genuine interests of both employees and organisations in fair investigations.
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