Halifax pro-noun name badge row sees mass closing of accounts (2024)
Halifax has reportedly lost in excess of £450,000 in investment accounts and savings today after customers closed their accounts following a row over pro-nouns on name badges.
Customers are said to be closing their accounts today the bank's social media team told them to leave if they 'don't like their new pronoun badges for branch staff '. The move has been branded one of the worst PR disasters in British business history.
Thousands of pounds in investments and savings have been pulled by Brits, as well as cutting up credit cards and transferring balances to rivals banks, as customers claim Halifax is 'alienating' them with 'pathetic virtue signalling'.
The row between the bank and some of its customers began this week when Halifax tweeted on Tuesday revealing that it would allow staff to display their pronouns on their name badges. The post showed a photo of a female staff member's name badge, which featured 'she/her/hers' in brackets under the name Gemma - the post was captioned 'pronouns matter'.
A customer replied: "There’s no ambiguity about the name “Gemma”. It’s a female person’s name. In other words, it’s pathetic virtue signalling and is seen as such by almost everyone who has responded to the initial tweet. Why are you trying to alienate people?"
Andy M, a member of the Halifax social media team, replied within 20 minutes: "If you disagree with our values, you're welcome to close your account."
The response has outraged customers, and seen hundreds claiming they will boycott the bank with many saying they have closed their accounts. Others have cut up their credit cards or getting rid of insurance policies. John Mothersdale, commented on a Yorkshire Live post regarding the news, he said: "Glad I don’t have an account with them then…saves me a job."
Allen Bell added: "Strikes me as in trying to make people more comfortable, they have managed to make people more uncomfortable. If I had an account with them I would immediately close it not because of the badge changing, but because they are supposed to be looking after people's money not their gender."
Others commented on the post dubbing the move 'stupid' and a 'terrible decision', whereas others claimed it made them 'uncomfortable'. Sami Insomniac said: "Ah a bank trying to act ‘woke’ in the midst of an impending global recession, can’t help but think their energy could probably be better focussed elsewhere."
Phil Mcandrew added: "These pronouns are stupid and based on a flawed ideology. It’s a political belief system. The wokery will have a negative effect on their profits and share price. What a terrible decision from management. Hope they are held to account for this at the next shareholders meeting."
May Kay commented: "This is bonkers . I am fed up of this it’s mad. Waste of money and time."
Mary-Ann Smith McKerchar said: "Shut down their customers accounts if they don't agree with them - well, do they actually understand what inclusiveness means? No, they just jump on the bandwagon."
Penny Moon added: "Where does the fine lines stop of making people comfortable."
A row has broken out on Twitter over pronouns on Halifax name badges, with the bank saying customers who object to its stance can close their accounts. The row was triggered by a Twitter post from Halifax saying "Pronouns matter" with a picture of a name badge saying "Gemma (she/her/hers)".
Halifax has told customers they are welcome to close their accounts if they disagree with its stance on pronoun badges for employees, following a raft of online complaints. The bank was ridiculed on social media after it tweeted an image of one of the badges in a post which read: "Pronouns matter.
The row began this week when Halifax, which was propped up by the taxpayer to the tune of £30billion as part of a 2008 bailout, tweeted its 118,000 followers on Tuesday revealing that it would allow staff to display their pronouns on their name badges, in a post that read 'pronouns matter'.
Pronoun badges are a tangible expression of an individual's gender identity. These badges typically declare pronouns, such as 'he/him,' 'she/her,' and 'they/them,' as well as variations like ze zir pronouns that provide a straightforward way for people to communicate how they wish to be addressed.
Your account may not be eligible to be closed online for many reasons. For example, because of periods of inactivity or restrictions on your account. It may also be because there are early closure charges. If there are charges to close the account early, you cannot close it online.
For instance, your bank may suspect you're a victim of identity theft or that your account is engaging in money laundering or wire fraud. Excessive bounced checks or overdraft fees: Banks often close the accounts of customers who frequently bounce checks.
Banks tend to take action if they notice a consistent negative balance or failure to address it. These consequences are also typically outlined in your account's terms and conditions, so be sure to review them.
Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds, which are all part of the Lloyds Banking Group, will shut at least 176 of their bank branches in 2024 and 2025, after the Group announced a further 53 closures. The banks had a combined total of 1,154 branches as of Thursday 14 March.
Halifax (previously known as Halifax Building Society and colloquially known as The Halifax) is a British banking brand operating as a trading division of Bank of Scotland, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group.
Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). For further information about the compensation provided by the FSCS, refer to the FSCS website at www.fscs.org.uk/.
Professional Spaces: By putting your pronouns on your name tag, you're signaling how you want to be addressed. You're also signaling that you will respect folks with pronouns different than your own.
A demonstrative pronoun is a pronoun that is used to point to something specific within a sentence. These pronouns can indicate items in space or time, and they can be either singular or plural. Write better and fasterGinger helps you write confidently.
Wearing a pronoun badge (and encouraging others to) helps normalise the non-assumption of pronouns, which reduces the frequency with which trans people are misgendered. It's therefore an effective act of allyship with the trans community.
Our Mobile Banking app can help you manage your account in a way that works for you. It has features like: Card freeze - freeze your transactions and limit your account abroad.
Can I have more than one Halifax current account? Yes. You can have as many Halifax current accounts as you like, which is great if you like the look of more than one of the current accounts that Halifax offers.
If your account is in the negative, the bank typically will not allow you to close the account. If the balance remains negative for long enough, however, the bank might decide to close the account and send the unpaid balance to collections.
About 350,000 Halifax, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland home insurance customers who had a policy between 2009 and 2017 have been paid an average of £38 each in compensation, after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found they were sent misleading renewal letters.
The act of closing a bank account, such as a checking or savings account, does not directly affect your credit score. Your credit score is not directly affected by your checking and savings account activity. That includes account closures. Checking and savings accounts are not considered credit accounts.
Closing an account may save you money in annual fees, or reduce the risk of fraud on those accounts, but closing the wrong accounts could actually harm your credit score. Check your credit reports online to see your account status before you close accounts to help your credit score.
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