David Livesey, the former chief executive of Connells, Britain’s largest estate agency, has won a ruling that he was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against on the grounds of age. The employment tribunal’s decision, issued this week, followed his departure from the company in 2023 at the age of 64.

Mr. Livesey had served Connells for 33 years, becoming its chief executive in 2008. Connells is owned by Skipton Building Society, which acquired the estate agency in 2010. The tribunal found that Skipton’s chief executive, Stuart Haire, played a key role in the decision to remove Mr. Livesey from the day-to-day management of the business. While the panel rejected allegations of bullying against Mr. Haire, it concluded that Mr. Livesey had been unlawfully pushed out, citing internal communications that appeared to reference his age. For example, an internal email from Mr. Haire described Mr. Livesey as having a "brittle mental state" and noted it was "too late to teach him new tricks," statements the tribunal regarded as indirect references to his age.

Mr. Livesey left the business under terms that classified him as a “bad leaver,” receiving a nominal payment of 46p on shares he had invested £420,000 in. In contrast, a younger colleague in a comparable role was awarded £1.6 million under a "clean break" clause within the company’s long-term share scheme. Mr. Livesey subsequently brought a £7 million claim against Skipton, alleging that he had been subjected to a campaign of bullying and age discrimination intended to force his resignation. The tribunal dismissed the bullying claims but upheld the age discrimination and unfair dismissal aspects of his case.

During proceedings at a Bury St Edmunds employment tribunal, it emerged that senior management had urged Mr. Livesey to leave immediately and advised him not to attend further meetings. Gwyneth Burr, chairwoman of Skipton’s board, acknowledged unawareness of the contractual implications of some parts of Mr. Livesey’s service agreement, and it was noted that he was asked to leave the company during a meeting lasting roughly ten minutes.

Following the ruling, Mr. Livesey described the judgment as a landmark decision that exposed what he called the Skipton board’s flawed decision-making and its disregard for many capable Connells employees. In contrast, Skipton expressed disappointment with the ruling and emphasized that the tribunal had decisively rejected all bullying allegations. The building society asserted its commitment to maintaining a strong workplace culture governed by strict policies and procedures.

Skipton also confirmed that it will carefully consider its legal options, including a possible appeal. A hearing to determine the amount of compensation owed to Mr. Livesey is scheduled for October.