Melodi
Disaster Cat
I can assure you that I do not find being called "A Widow" offensive, but to call me separated, I would most certainly find offensive! I almost put the article under insanity because it is insane. Sure, those of us who have lost our spouses are separated, but it was an unplanned and relatively permanent separation. On the other hand, "I am Separated from my husband" means in standard English that both spouses are alive, still married, but no longer living together. This article brings back memories (for me) of the lady officer not believing that Nightwolf and I were legally married and kept insisting, "Sure, but not in a legal sense," until I pointed at a folder and said, "Do I need to show you our marriage certificate, it is right there!"
www.dailymail.co.uk
Don't use the word 'widows', Lloyds chiefs tell staff in new 'inclusive language' guidance at...Scottish Widows
Lloyds has issued a list of everyday terms for its 57,000 workers to avoid
By PATRICK TOOHER CONSULTANT CITY EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 22:35, 16 March 2024 | UPDATED: 23:03, 16 March 2024
View comments
Lloyds was derided as a woke laughing stock last night after it advised staff to avoid using the word 'widow' in its new 'inclusive language' guidance – despite the company owning the high-profile insurer Scottish Widows.
Britain's biggest lender has been accused of a 'nanny state approach' after issuing a long list of everyday terms for its 57,000 workers to avoid in case they cause offence.
Phrases and colloquialisms deemed unacceptable include 'headless chicken', 'lost in translation' and 'sold down the river'.
Lloyds says use of the term 'guinea pig' might upset vegans because it's associated with 'experimentation on non-human animals'.
But it is the 'banning' of 'widow' which will attract most ire, as its Scottish Widows subsidiary is one of the world's most recognised brands, managing assets totalling almost £200 billion.
Lloyds claims the word is 'unnecessarily vivid' and may 'trigger unwarranted personal memories of trauma and upsetting situations'.
It suggests using the term 'separated' instead.
The phrases to avoid
Widows
Lloyds says it is a ‘potentially upsetting term’ to use in contexts that are not about bereavement, and it can trigger ‘memories of trauma’.
Guinea pigs
Term ‘may not be inclusive of vegan colleagues’ as it could conjure up imagines of experimentation on animals.
Penetration testing
This refers to a type of cyber security testing that firms perform to check their systems are safe. But Lloyds says it may ‘infer a level of gender bias’. It may ‘conjure up an unwarranted and intrusive bodily image or may be triggering’.
Sold down the river
Phrase is a reference to slaves being ‘sold’ in Kentucky and transported via boat to work in plantations.
Like a ‘headless chicken’
Associated with animal cruelty, the expression stems from a 1940s phenomenon where a Colorado farmer cut off the head of one of his chickens – but the bird lived for another 18 months.
It comes after the bank launched an 'inclusive language' guide explaining what terms should be used and, crucially, what is considered inappropriate.
The guide says there are many terms 'that have strong negative associations.'
Using them, it adds, could negatively impact another person and create 'barriers based on... social mobility, education, religion, accessibility, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation'.
Last night the guide was criticised as the latest example of wokery gone too far.
Mark Brown, general secretary of the BTU trade union, which represents bank workers, said: 'The more we allow people to claim they have been offended because they disagree with the use of certain words or phrases, the more they will seize the opportunity to be offended.'
He added: 'Is this kind of nanny state approach to language going to make things better or worse in Lloyds?'
Referring to the censure of the word 'widow', Mr Brown said: 'Lloyds is engaged in the most hypocritical form of virtue signalling.
'If it really believed in the use of inclusive language, then it would change the Scottish Widows brand name immediately.
'The fact that's not going to happen tells you all you need to know about 'inclusive language' in Lloyds Banking Group. It's a gimmick – Lloyds has become a woke laughing stock.'
Mr Brown said there were clear economic and organisational arguments for diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace.
But they 'are being drowned out by half-baked schemes which are ineffective and create resentment, muddled thinking on the part of one-dimensional executives and 'diversity washing' – employers whose words and actions are completely at odds with each other', he added.
Lloyds insists the guide is not a 'diktat dictionary'.
'You may agree with some terms and disagree with others – that's OK! You don't have to adopt alternatives, though do explore why we recommend doing so and the urgency which they are suggested,' the guide adds.
The bank was always looking at ways to engage, debate and be collaborative with staff, a spokeswoman added.
'The voluntary inclusivity tool is designed to be a self-moderated way for colleagues to explore how people may feel about different words and phrases,' she said.
'As is par for the course when crowd-sourcing for ideas, some are better than others.'
Lloyds said there were no plans to change the name of Scottish Widows.
Don't use word 'widows', Lloyds chiefs tell staff at...Scottish Widows
Lloyds was derided as a woke laughing stock last night after it advised staff to avoid using the word 'widow' in its new 'inclusive language' guidance - despite the company owning Scottish Widows.
Lloyds has issued a list of everyday terms for its 57,000 workers to avoid
By PATRICK TOOHER CONSULTANT CITY EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 22:35, 16 March 2024 | UPDATED: 23:03, 16 March 2024
View comments
Lloyds was derided as a woke laughing stock last night after it advised staff to avoid using the word 'widow' in its new 'inclusive language' guidance – despite the company owning the high-profile insurer Scottish Widows.
Britain's biggest lender has been accused of a 'nanny state approach' after issuing a long list of everyday terms for its 57,000 workers to avoid in case they cause offence.
Phrases and colloquialisms deemed unacceptable include 'headless chicken', 'lost in translation' and 'sold down the river'.
Lloyds says use of the term 'guinea pig' might upset vegans because it's associated with 'experimentation on non-human animals'.
But it is the 'banning' of 'widow' which will attract most ire, as its Scottish Widows subsidiary is one of the world's most recognised brands, managing assets totalling almost £200 billion.
Lloyds claims the word is 'unnecessarily vivid' and may 'trigger unwarranted personal memories of trauma and upsetting situations'.
It suggests using the term 'separated' instead.
The phrases to avoid
Widows
Lloyds says it is a ‘potentially upsetting term’ to use in contexts that are not about bereavement, and it can trigger ‘memories of trauma’.
Guinea pigs
Term ‘may not be inclusive of vegan colleagues’ as it could conjure up imagines of experimentation on animals.
Penetration testing
This refers to a type of cyber security testing that firms perform to check their systems are safe. But Lloyds says it may ‘infer a level of gender bias’. It may ‘conjure up an unwarranted and intrusive bodily image or may be triggering’.
Sold down the river
Phrase is a reference to slaves being ‘sold’ in Kentucky and transported via boat to work in plantations.
Like a ‘headless chicken’
Associated with animal cruelty, the expression stems from a 1940s phenomenon where a Colorado farmer cut off the head of one of his chickens – but the bird lived for another 18 months.
It comes after the bank launched an 'inclusive language' guide explaining what terms should be used and, crucially, what is considered inappropriate.
The guide says there are many terms 'that have strong negative associations.'
Using them, it adds, could negatively impact another person and create 'barriers based on... social mobility, education, religion, accessibility, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation'.
Last night the guide was criticised as the latest example of wokery gone too far.
Mark Brown, general secretary of the BTU trade union, which represents bank workers, said: 'The more we allow people to claim they have been offended because they disagree with the use of certain words or phrases, the more they will seize the opportunity to be offended.'
He added: 'Is this kind of nanny state approach to language going to make things better or worse in Lloyds?'
Referring to the censure of the word 'widow', Mr Brown said: 'Lloyds is engaged in the most hypocritical form of virtue signalling.
'If it really believed in the use of inclusive language, then it would change the Scottish Widows brand name immediately.
'The fact that's not going to happen tells you all you need to know about 'inclusive language' in Lloyds Banking Group. It's a gimmick – Lloyds has become a woke laughing stock.'
Mr Brown said there were clear economic and organisational arguments for diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace.
But they 'are being drowned out by half-baked schemes which are ineffective and create resentment, muddled thinking on the part of one-dimensional executives and 'diversity washing' – employers whose words and actions are completely at odds with each other', he added.
Lloyds insists the guide is not a 'diktat dictionary'.
'You may agree with some terms and disagree with others – that's OK! You don't have to adopt alternatives, though do explore why we recommend doing so and the urgency which they are suggested,' the guide adds.
The bank was always looking at ways to engage, debate and be collaborative with staff, a spokeswoman added.
'The voluntary inclusivity tool is designed to be a self-moderated way for colleagues to explore how people may feel about different words and phrases,' she said.
'As is par for the course when crowd-sourcing for ideas, some are better than others.'
Lloyds said there were no plans to change the name of Scottish Widows.
