Aviva pushes out female senior exec while on maternity leave
Insurer Aviva has pushed out one of its most senior female executives while she was on maternity leave.
Chief people officer Sarah Morris went on maternity leave last July and was put on gardening leave at the end of May, the Sunday Times reported.
Aviva refused to comment on the circumstances of Morris’s departure.
In September 2018 Morris told the Evening Standard that she expected to return to her role after maternity leave.
“I’m about to go on maternity leave and I’m taking a proper amount of time out, between six and nine months. I’m not going to try and be a superhero who works until the day that my baby arrives. I will come back to this role — the question is, will I come back full-time, four days a week? I don’t know. I think you can have a brilliant career and love what you do, and have a family,” she said.
In a statement released by Aviva to its staff Morris said: “After nearly four years being a member of the executive team and leading Aviva’s people function, I am handing over the baton of chief people officer to pursue the next challenge in my career.”
Morris could not be reached for comment.
Aviva said in a statement: “Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is fundamental to Aviva, in all its forms and across all levels of the organisation.”