Halifax has told customers they are free to close their accounts if they disagree with pronouns being on staff name tags.
After taking to social media earlier this week to share an image of a staff name tag which had Gemma written on it with the pronouns ‘she/her/hers’ underneath, and to state that “pronouns matter”, the bank was met with praise on the move by many customers, as well as by leading LGTBQ+ charity, Stonewall.
Stonewall said it was great to see companies like Halifax offering staff the option of displaying their pronouns, and claimed it was a great way to “make sure LGBTQ+ identities are respected” in the workplace.
A spokesperson for Halifax said the bank wants to “create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity”, and it hopes the move will support colleagues to be themselves and feel included.
“We care about our customers’ and colleagues’ individual preferences,” the spokesperson added.
But despite all the praise it received, Halifax was also hit with criticism from some other customers who said they didn’t agree with the move.
One critical Twitter user accused the bank of “pathetic virtue signalling” and questioned why it was trying to “alienate” people, to which Halifax responded in a now-viral tweet telling the customer to close their account.
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Halifax said: “We strive for inclusion, equality and quite simply, in doing what’s right. If you disagree with our values, you’re welcome to close your account.”
In another critical tweet, another customer wrote: “If a person is wearing a NAME badge, wouldn’t it more polite to use that NAME, isn’t that the point of a NAME badge, otherwise, why put the NAME on the NAME badge in the first place?”
Halifax then responded to reiterate that it wishes to “create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity,” for staff and customers alike.
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We strive for inclusion, equality and quite simply, in doing what’s right. If you disagree with our values, you’re welcome to close your account. ^AndyM
Hi Jamie. We want to create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity. We care about our customers and colleagues individual preferences. For us, it’s a very simple solution to accidental misgendering. ^Lee
Halifax is the latest organisation to offer employees the chance to display their pronouns on name badges, and it comes after retailer M&S made the headlines for adopting the optional move back in November 2021.
The move by M&S came from a suggestion via the retailer’s employee suggestion initiative, and it now means that workers have the choice to use “whichever combinations of pronouns is right for them”.
Announcing the decision to introduce the new pronoun badges, M&S explained: “Recently, we introduced pronoun name badges for our colleagues, encouraging as many of them as possible to wear whichever combination of pronouns is right for them.
“An amazing initiative provided by one of our colleagues as we continue to build an inclusive future, together.”
Featured Image – Halifax
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Rúben Amorim’s Man United press conference interrupted by Old Trafford roof leaking – again
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has been given plenty doses of reality since arriving at Old Trafford but surely there can’t be any more telling than the stadium’s roof leaking into his press conference?
Poetic irony timed to perfection.
Not only did the new head coach have to sit in front of journalists as he tried to wrap his head around another Premier League implosion following the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth – a team now sat in fifth, it’s worth noting – but he also got to witness the condition the stadium first hand.
And when we say first hand, we mean literally right in front of his face.
In case you wanted a summary of how much work there is to be done at Man United, the roof started leaking during Ruben Amorim’s press conference. 💦
In this instance, not only was the leak internal but Amorim’s post-match press conference was actually briefly interrupted as drops of water fell on the desk in front of him.
You can hear reporters asking what it is (they knew full well) before United’s press officer can be heard off-camera asking them to quickly move on. Sports writer Sanny Rudravajhala quipped, “A new meaning to the leaks at #mufc”, in reference to dressing room talk and lineups still being fed to the media.
Make what you will of Amorim‘s expressions in this moment but let’s just say he can’t have been expecting to have to worry about things like this when he accepted the job.
A penny for the Portugueseman’s thoughts when he looked up and saw that leak coming from the ceiling:
The moment Ruben Amorim's press conference is interrupted by a leak at Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/gqc8fW20Om
Although many are deeply reticent to let the iconic Theatre of Dreams go after more than a century of history and sporting memories, scenes like this certainly go a long way to arguing the case for a whole new home ground rather than simply renovating as it appears to be in such a sorry state of disrepair.
But even with a brand-new state-of-the-art footballing arena, it doesn’t do anything to address improving performances on the pitch as even with eye-watering sums invested in the squad over recent years, they still look way off it and serious work needs to be done for them to catch up with the pack.
You can watch the highlights from Man United vs Bournemouth below:
The leaking roof wasn’t the only thing raining down on Amorim as the derby day high was followed by a frustrating festive low.
Featured Images — BeanymanSports (screenshot via YouTube)
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A new study has revealed the exact age that ‘hangovers from hell’ begin
Clementine Hall
Still nursing a Christmas hangover? There might be a reason for that.
That’s because a new study has officially revealed the exact age that “hangovers from hell” start and begin to ruin our lives.
Picture this, you’re a 20-something-year-old who’s woken up after a night of heavy drinking only to feel a faint headache and a craving for greasy food. One fry up and one lucozade later, you’re feeling right as rain by 3pm and ready to go again.
Fast forward a few years and a glass of red wine or two will knock you out for days as you reach for the paracetamol and hide away from any bright light whilst you swear to never ever drink again (until the next weekend).
Gone are the days where you could stay out all night and only feel a slight hangover the next morning.
But at what age does this drastic decline take place? When does our ability to handle alcohol slip through our sticky, tequila covered fingers? Well, a new study carried out by greeting-card company Thortful has found that the age of 34 is where it all starts to go downhill.
A new study has revealed the exact age that ‘hangovers from hell’ start / Credit: Kraken Images (via Unsplash)
A survey of 2,000 people aged from 18 to 65 found this to be the age where hangovers really start to sting and you begin to question whether that last gin and tonic was really worth it, and it doesn’t just stop there, as age 35 was found to be the year when hangovers last for two days which is the ultimate punishment.
We all know there’s nothing worse than rocking up to work on a Monday morning still feel hazy eyed and more dehydrated than a cactus.
Sadly, it’s not until age 37 when we finally learn from our mistakes (supposedly) and start to recognise our limits – with the consensus being that people feel ‘too old’ to go out at age 38, and subsequently start to feel more drunk after just two drinks at age 39.
At least it’ll be a cheap night out.
Long gone are the days when you would wake up feeling fresh as a daisy / Credit: Kinga Cichewicz (via Unsplash)
The science behind it is as follows – Dr. Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, said little research has been conducted on the severity of hangovers with regards to ageing, but explained they worsen due to ‘the breakdown of alcohol and the persisting presence of its toxic metabolite – acetaldehyde – in the body’, the Metro reports.
“Hangovers are likely to worsen with age because the activity of the key enzymes involved in alcohol breakdown becomes less efficient with age,” Dr Lee explained.
“Also, older people have less muscle and more fat, plus the distribution of water within the body alters as we age.
“The end result is higher levels of blood alcohol which take longer to metabolise.”
So, if you’re still in your 20s and deliberating whether or not to have that extra shot of tequila then use this information to your advantage and go for it, as sooner or later that extra sip might have you bed bound and out of action for a few days, so enjoy it whilst you can.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2022 
