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John Lewis issues staff warning over abusive forum posts

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted February 15, 2024

John Lewis has told its employees they could face disciplinary actions due to increased abusive posts on the company's internal online forum.

The retail giant said staff leaving "unacceptable comments" on the intranet could lead to meetings with human resources managers.

The company said there was a “significant and understandable strength of feeling about recent announcements but that’s not an excuse for some of the abuse we’ve seen”.

John Lewis has described many comments as "abusive, hurtful, and simply unacceptable."

It said any form of harassment or bullying will be treated as a disciplinary issue.

This warning coincides with John Lewis's announcement it is is considering eliminating 11,000 jobs as part of its strategic overhaul to secure its future viability.

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The company has also announced plans to adjust its redundancy pay policy, which it claims is above the market average and a financial burden.

This move has attracted criticism, particularly regarding the proposed job cuts.

The potential for redundancies has prompted the GMB Union to threaten strikes.

In a letter, the union warned Chairwoman Dame Sharon White that it would vote on industrial action among employees if she didn't clarify the layoff details.

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