Saatchi boss sacked after stroke is offered a 'despicable' £50,000 payout

Mike Austin held a high-profile creative post on a salary of more than £60,000 a year.

But when a stroke left him partially paralysed he was dismissed by Gulf Saatchi & Saatchi, which cited "inevitable commercial decisions".

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Now the 48-year- old, who is paralysed down the right side of his body and is unable to speak, has been offered £49,838 by the Saatchi umbrella company.

Saatchi and Saatchi Holdings Ltd described the offer as a "goodwill payment" as it did not control the independently-run Bahrain-based franchise where Mr Austin worked.

Last night his wife Lesley, who has given up work to care for her husband, described the agency's actions as "despicable".

Mr Austin had already been diagnosed with high blood pressure because of extreme work-related stress before he had the stroke on his way to work on November 27, 2005.

He was two years into his placement at Gulf Saatchi & Saatchi.

But as he fought for his life in hospital, Mrs Austin received a letter saying he was being sacked.

It said: "Given Mike's current condition and the uncertainty as regards when he would be fit to resume work, the company is compelled to invoke article 116 of the Labour Law.

"This provides that a contract of employment of a worker shall be terminated by a disability preventing his performance of the work or by a period of illness that exceeds his entitlement to sick and annual leave."

The family claim they were given just a few weeks' notice to leave their £1,000-a-month company-paid house in Bahrain and that Mr Austin's medical insurance was terminated, leaving them with crippling medical bills.

The couple returned to their London home after Mr Austin's condition deteriorated.

Yesterday Mrs Austin said her husband had been left a broken man and accused the company of "corporate bullying".

"Saatchi & Saatchi have behaved despicably and have ignored the behaviour of Gulf Saatchi and its abuse of human rights," she added. "To them it is just a cheque. To Michael it is his life."

Documents obtained by the magazine Personnel Today show Saatchi & Saatchi has acknowledged Mr Austin suffered a "tragic illness" and his case was "complex and distressing".

However, the firm has insisted it has no control over the independent Gulf operation.

Johann Xavier, Saatchi & Saatchi's chief financial officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, offered the Austins a "goodwill payment", without admission of liability.

A letter from the company's legal counsel to the family said: "We do not believe that a protracted court case is in any of the parties' interests. The payment would be in full and final settlement of all alleged claims against Saatchi & Saatchi Holdings Ltd."

Saatchi & Saatchi has 7,000 staff in 134 offices around the world.

It is no longer connected to its British founders, Charles and Maurice Saatchi.

Gulf Saatchi and Saatchi is a separate entity from the UK-based firm.

r.camber@dailymail.co.uk