Treasury worker, 26, killed herself one day after anonymous complaint left her terrified of being sacked

A TREASURY worker took her own life just one day after an anonymous complaint left her terrified she would be sacked, an inquest has heard. Chloe Moffat, 26, had worked in the government department as a personal assistant for almost three years and was on course for a promotion after being awarded a bonus for good work. Treasury worker Chloe Moffat, 26, killed herself a day after a meeting about anonymous complaint Credit: Facebook She had worked in the government department as a personal assistant Credit: Facebook Chloe “loved her job” and had an “exemplary employment record”, the coroner at her ongoing inquest was previously told. However, her family and friends said she was left in a state of “distress” following a meeting with senior Treasury staff about potential disciplinary proceedings. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! She was accused of sharing confidential information about colleagues, which she had access to because she ran her director’s email inbox. Chloe was told someone had filed an anonymous complaint. She was “devastated” after the meeting in May last year and “convinced” she had lost her job. Chloe then killed herself the following day, Surrey Coroners’ Court heard. The inquest was told that Chloe was not reassured by management that her job was safe – even though she was unlikely to be sacked. She was also called into the meeting, which was attended by her line manager and the Treasury’s head of global issues, with no prior notice of what it would be about. Most read in The Sun The inquest was told that Chloe was not reassured by management that her job was safe Credit: Facebook She was not allowed to bring a colleague to attend proceedings, the inquest heard Credit: Facebook The inquest heard that Chloe was visibly distressed during the meeting and was “shocked and crying at points”, according to The Guardian. Her line manager said she had asked for her best friend in the office to attend the proceedings with her but was told that this would be “inappropriate”. And when Chloe asked if she would lose her job, the senior manager told the court she had said “she couldn’t predict any outcome of any potential investigation“. After the meeting, Chloe temporarily lost access to her director’s email inbox and diary. She was also advised not to speak to colleagues about the allegations and potential investigation. The inquest heard Chloe’s line manager was in charge of her “pastoral care”, despite her direct oversight role. Friends and family said Chloe left the meeting “convinced” she was going to be sacked. They said she “never made a mistake” and “took great pride in her work”. One friend said she received a text from her on the same day as the proceedings which read: “I am going to be fired.” The pair met up in central London where Chloe “broke down crying” and was “incredibly concerned about the reputational impact” of the allegations. The friend said she tried to reassure Chloe but that she remained “distressed”. Chloe’s mother, Anne, is now calling on the Treasury to change its practices with regard to disciplinary proceedings in light of her daughter’s death. She wants the government department to be required to assess employees’ mental welfare “where serious or gross misconduct is alleged”. How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858 Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk HUMEN www.wearehumen.org Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123 Anne said: “Our hope is that lessons will be learned. The risks must be recognised so no other family will experience a loss like this. “The evidence establishes a clear sequence of events. Had Chloe been properly supported and advised of her rights before the meeting, she would not have been so devastated and isolated.” It is understood that the Treasury has begun implementing changes to its disciplinary proceedings. Lawyers representing the department added that managers were undergoing additional training. Chloe’s line manager told the inquest they believed they had done “everything they could at the time” with the “information they were given”. The inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court continues. A Treasury spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Chloe last year. “Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and those affected by her loss.” The department said the meeting with Chloe was established as an early fact-finding stage, not a formal disciplinary.