HKT apologises over Valentine’s Day ad that offered vacuums, blenders to female staff at HSBC
- The ad had a ‘For Him’ section that featured laptops and other technology
HKT, the largest telecommunications services provider in Hong Kong, apologised on Friday over a controversial Valentine’s Day advertisement sent to HSBC staff that offered discounts for men to buy laptops and other technology, and for women to buy vacuum cleaners and other household products.
The advertisement, displayed on a HSBC staff intranet site, offered discounts on a variety of products to the bank’s employees in Hong Kong.
The marketing misstep comes amid a wider discussion in many offices about sexism and gender roles in light of the #Me Too movement, which has exposed sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
Reuters reported on Friday that a HKT spokesman said: “We have heard the feedback and offer our heartfelt apologies for any offence caused.
“We firmly believe in gender equality in both the workplace and in life, and we are committed to ensuring that we, and our business partners, exercise prudence, respect and inclusion for all.”
HKT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Reuters was the first to report on the controversial offer, and said HSBC staff members in Hong Kong and London had criticised it.
The marketing offer include a section titled “For Him” that featured a variety of technology items, including laptops and headphones, while the section “For Her” included vacuum cleaners and a blender, according to Reuters.
“The offer is from a third-party source who manages their own marketing materials,” a HSBC spokeswoman said on Friday. “HSBC is committed to gender diversity in the workplace.”
The financial industry, in particular, has struggled with questions about gender disparity and inappropriate behaviour.
More than two decades ago, Smith Barney was sued in a class-action lawsuit over sexual harassment and systemically lower pay for women. The lawsuit was known as the “boom boom room” case, referring to a basement party space at a Smith Barney office in Garden City, New York.
Smith Barney eventually paid a settlement of US$150 million and the case sparked a movement to change the culture on Wall Street.
But, accusations of discrimination by women in finance have not gone away, as financial firms have continued to be accused of discrimination ranging from treatment after maternity leave to lower pay.
HSBC is trying to do its part to even the playing field for its female employees.
In Hong Kong, the company increased fully paid maternity leave and leave for adopting parents from 14 weeks to 16 weeks, regardless of gender, as of January 1. The company also offers paternity leave of two weeks for new parents.
HSBC also has said that it is aspiring for at least 30 per cent of its senior leadership roles to be filled by women by 2020 and to developing female talent to strengthen its leadership pipeline. The company’s share of women in global senior leadership roles at the end of 2017 was 26.8 per cent, the bank said.
But, the bank reported in January that its average gender pay gap among its United Kingdom employees increased from 59 per cent in 2017 to 61 per cent last year. It was the worst gender pay gap among British banks that released the information publicly.
The bank said that the gap was a reflection of fewer women in senior leadership roles at the company and a higher percentage of women in junior or part-time roles.
“We are confident in our approach to pay and if we identify any pay differences between men and women in similar roles, which cannot be explained by reasons such as performance/behaviour rating or experience, we make appropriate adjustments,” the bank said at the time.
