Lloyd’s of London boss warns 45,000 staff members to be ‘particularly careful’ during Christmas party season amid allegations of sexual harassment
- Chief executive John Neal told staff in an email it was a ‘challenging time of year’
- Lloyd’s also plastered posters in pub toilets warning of sexual harassment
- Institution vowed in September this year to tackle its male-dominated culture
Staff at Lloyd’s of London have been warned to behave this Christmas party season following allegations of sexual harassment.
Chief executive John Neal told some 45,000 workers in an email to be ‘particularly careful’ as he called it a ‘challenging time of year’.
The institution also plastered posters in pub toilets near its headquarters, reminding staff that ‘unwanted advances and physical contact’ are not a ‘joke’ while encouraging incidents of sexual harassment to be reported.
‘We’ve asked people to be particularly careful and remind their staff of the standards of behaviour that they would expect, including at Christmas parties,’ Neal told Financial News.
Chief executive John Neal told some 45,000 workers in an email to be ‘particularly careful’ as he called it a ‘challenging time of year’
The warning comes ahead of the institution’s Christmas party on Friday – after Lloyd’s vowed in September this year to tackle its male-dominated culture.
It is said to be one of the only institutions left with boozy culture and excessive alcohol consumption during working hours.
In a damning investigation by Bloomberg Businessweek, female staff were found to face ‘near-persistent harassment’ including leering, advances, inappropriate comments and unwanted touching.
Victims say they were abused and attacked by male bosses within the insurance market, followed by efforts to silence them.
It is said to be one of the only institution left with boozy culture and excessive alcohol consumption during working hours (stock image)
Women were also referred to as ‘totty’ by staff and rated from one to ten on their ‘sh**ability’, according to the investigation.
Some eight per cent of employees reported having seen harassment over the period of a year and 22 per cent of said staff ‘turned a blind eye to inappropriate behaviour’, according to a survey commissioned in the wake of the report.
Lloyd’s of London, which began 333 years ago in a small coffee shop in the City, handles insurance for businesses all over the world.
It operates as a market where policies are bought and sold on its trading floors by independent brokers, traders and wealthy individuals who underwrite policies.
The market has a long-standing drinking culture at lunchtimes and evenings, which the alleged victims say fuelled the harassment
Much of the bad behaviour was reportedly carried out by people who work there but are not actually Lloyd’s employees.
The market has a long-standing drinking culture at lunchtimes and evenings, which the alleged victims say fuelled the harassment.
When Lloyd’s appointed its first female boss, Dame Inga Beale, in 2014 to try to solve the problem, it is claimed that she faced a barrage of anonymous letters including one which called for her to ‘go and die’.
During her time in charge Dame Inga banned drinking in work time but this was largely ignored, and it is claimed she was told by Lloyd’s’ council and governing board that she spent too much time on diversity.
She quit last year and has been replaced by Neal, former head of Australian insurer QBE.
Mr Neal said at the time of the report: ‘We take it extremely seriously and will be talking to the Lloyd’s market to ensure that we stamp out these inappropriate behaviours.’
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