Sacked for using 'N' word

[Horrace]

I don't know how to copy link sorry but has anyone been following the story of the Lloyd's bank manager who was sacked for asking a relevant question in a so called anti racism training session by his employers but in his question he used the full 'N' word.
His question I believe was how would he be expected to deal with black employees or customers speaking to each other using that word.
The trainer was so offended by the word, she had to take 5 days off work. However, he got sacked.
He has since been awarded £500,00 but no apology from Lloyd's and no job back.
As far as we know, the ridiculous incompetent trainer is still employed.

I am close to this story but afraid to say how.
But will say that I'm losing sleep and furious more and more at this bank.

Especially when you have CHOSEN to train people about how to deal with offensive words as your JOB!

Really? I think when you are reporting on things, you should report accurately. I personally never censor/asterisk swear words when quoting interactions for each other.

However, the word cunt is not equal to using a racial slur. And I would be very surprised that people are frequently referring to each other using that term in a banking environment.

It sounds to me as though the manager was looking to get a reaction, and got one. I’m not going to comment on the trainers reaction, because I don’t feel I can do so as a white person.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12933351/amp/Bank-worker-wins-490-000-payout-unfairly-dismissed-using-N-word-anti-racism-training-session-says-middle-aged-white-men-bottom-everything.html - here’s one of the links to the article. It’s also being reported on LBC and the Telegraph.

It says that the man was awarded £490,000 after it was concluded that he was dismissed unfairly from his job. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been sacked but he has now been given almost half a million pounds. I think he’s in quite a good position.

Have they now? Really?

(Am ex Lloyd's employee)

@SisterHyster I did report accurately. Everyone knows which word I meant - it’s very clear which word I was referring to.

He should not have used the word. he could have explained himself in a better way and I would have thought anyone working today would know that. But I have to say, I think anti racism trainers are often the most precious, ridiculous people. I went to one with a very unpleasant woman in the group - rude, abrupt and generally nasty. The trainer basically egged her on to attack the white people in the room for being racist to her, when in fact she was aggressive and awful. There were loads of complaints after, from people of all colours.

There was absolutely no reason to use the word. Everyone knows what's meant by the N word and no white person uses it unless they think they're entitled to use it.

Black people are entitled to use it. He had so many options available to him and chose to say, apparently without regret, the word. It obviously upset the trainer.

Being a safe space to talk doesn't mean you can say what you like.

He argued that the dismissals was discriminatory because it wouldn't have happened if he were black, and seems to have got the payout on disability discrimination because of his dyslexia.

This is very old news OP, there is no story to follow as it concluded months ago.

What is your agenda here?

You complain he hasn’t had an apology or been offered his job back. Well (a) he got financial compensation which is the norm in employment tribunal matters (b) an employment tribunal cannot order an apology and (c) he did not request reinstatement as far as I am aware and if he did, the tribunal didn’t award it.

He won his case, was awarded and received compensation. Again what is your agenda here?

The tribunal found that he said the full word because of a disability. Tbh though I think that even without a disability, it’s ill-advised but it’s not gross misconduct. It concerns me a bit that there are some words considered so heinous they can’t be said in any context. They’re words, they won’t literally hurt anyone.

What I find most astounding is that Lloyds doubled down even to the point of appeal, incurring enormous legal costs, in a case that is obviously very borderline. Why don’t they go for some real racism?

Not really. How do you handle two black teens throwing that word around? They are immediately going to accuse the person of racism. Lloyds have a zero policy, according to the articles. He asked if they have the backing to refuse service to black people using that word.

I think it seems excessive that a person was fired for using that word if it was in the context of a question about training but I don't know the full details of the exchange. The trainer probably shouldn't have been given the responsibility of carrying out this kind of training if they were v likely to be offended by such a question, but it depends on many factors. Unconscious bias training should be better from the bank I would say, but without knowing the full details it's hard to make a judgement.

Maybe the person using the offensive word did it in such a way that he directed it at the trainer. Who knows without actually being there. It certainly raises questions with the bank's racial policies and training procedures... and not in a good way at all.

Personally I wouod like to hear her answer to the question how do you deal with staff and customers using the "N" word

Especially the staff aspect customers you can't say much too but staff?

I can imagine him wanting to use the word in the training if he was getting woolly answers. It's a shocking word, especially in a workplace. If the EDI trainer (who sounds fucking useless) was waffling on and not giving a straight answer, I can imagine myself wanting to say "are you really saying it would be acceptable for Marcus to say nGGr to Kevin, while at work, on the premises, because they are both black?" The shock of the word in the question replicates the shock of the word in the hypothetical situation being described.

He was just itching to use the word. I’ve heard the “well when black people say it..” line enough times to know what lies beneath.

”Middle aged white men are at the bottom of the pile”. They’re statistically at the top but let’s not let facts get in the way.

Cow?
Cock?
Anti Asian slurs?

I think starring out swear words can lead to ambiguity and in a report writing setting (especially where people can end up with serious repercussions, for example suspension/expulsion in school, or disciplinary/dismissal in a workplace)

Especially since often a lot of time may pass between reporting an incident and action being taken.

Nevertheless, the trainer needing 5 days off on her fainting couch because she heard a word is surely excessive.

I hate the C word, really hate it. But if it was spoken in a training session in the context of “what should I do if someone says it”, and I flounced off to take 5 days to recover from the assault to my ears, I’d probably be facing disciplinary action.

About half a million quid for wrongful dismissal seems to be what he deserved in that case.

yes you are correct l he tried to ask the question ,without using the word and I believe the trainer pushed him . All his colleagues of all ethnic backgrounds backed him and the tribunal as well . It was a genuine situation and they had been encouraged to talk freely and ask any questions . .

@2024GarlicCloves Are you black? Just wondering what qualifies you to use the word.

Fucking bonkers 🤦🏻‍♀️

His colleagues apparently differed with your opinion. You know the ones who actually worked with him .

That's all he wanted clarification on. So if two black people are using that word in the bank, can they or does the policy apply to everyone? But what if the black people around them are offended, whose side do they take? What about people who are mixed heritage but look white? It starts to get discriminatory.