Lloyds of London accused of entrenched sexist culture with widespread sexual harassment: 'I've heard people being told to stick their t**s out'

One of the most prestigious institutions in the City of London has been accused of allowing a deeply entrenched culture of sexual harassment in which women are “leered” and “letched” at.

Women who work at Lloyd’s of London, a specialist insurance and reinsurance market, claim they were abused and attacked by male bosses but did not feel able to speak out due to fears of retribution.

The firm, whose headquarters are in a vast skyscraper in central London, was founded 300 years ago and handles insurance for businesses across the world.

A broker in her late twenties, who regularly conducts business at Lloyds of London, told The Independent she regularly feels “uncomfortable” working there. She said that while she had never been touched inappropriately, she knew people who had.

She said people hired young women to draw in business to their box, a cluster of small desks and benches allocated to each of the approximately 80 syndicates at Lloyd’s.

“I always feel if I wear a skirt or heels or a lower top or dress I know there will be comments made like: ‘oh, hot date?’ As a result, I always wear flats and hate wearing tight shirts or low cut dresses,” she said.

“I have been told and heard people being told to stick their tits out for a certain underwriter or broker. The whole place is very image-focused.

"Every time women are described it is by their looks first. I once got told I didn’t need to dress like that to get a deal done. ‘Wear that tight top to go and get a deal done.’ – all my colleagues have stories like that. Then people say ‘oh it’s just a joke’.

“Everything is deemed to be banter. Innuendo that people laughed off. It happens in front of other colleagues and people laugh about it so you don’t feel you can say anything without fear of being a pariah.

"I have known women that have complained and they have been hushed by HR themselves or had to leave insurance so I never felt able to.”

She said the men making these comments did not deem themselves to be doing anything wrong and that many female colleagues also appeared to think it was normal and socially acceptable.

She said it was typically the older men who would “leer” and “letch” and that there were very few women in the industry to look up to as role models – adding that she was one of the older women in her circle of colleagues, despite only being in her late twenties.

“Few of the women have families and work," she said.

"Women tend to drop off the cliff in their early 30s. In many respects, it is still assumed the women will make the tea and are expected to act like PAs (personal assistants).”

A report by Bloomberg Businessweek paints a portrait of an atmosphere of “near-persistent harassment” which sees women subjected to inappropriate comments, unwanted touching and sexual assault.

The employee who spoke to The Independent said there had been a backlash among colleagues following the article.

“All the men today are saying the article is ridiculous and it doesn’t apply to them,” she added. “People see the word ‘harassment’ and they think 'oh, that doesn’t happen here'. Then every man who didn’t grope someone thinks no that didn’t happen.”

The publication spoke to 18 women who have more than 300 years of combined experience in the insurance market. A woman alleged she was attacked by a drunk senior manager in a pub near Lloyds but her employer persuaded her it would be bad for her career to pursue a complaint.

Another woman was allegedly grabbed in a taxi by her boss after a night out, then moved to a new department after complaining, while he was able to keep his job.

Women at Lloyd’s continue to be judged by their looks, according to Mairi Mallon, an insurance public-relations specialist writing in her blog, Sexism in the City.

“Women at Lloyd’s boxes [are] still being called a host of names including ‘totty,’ ” Ms Mallon wrote in 2017, and they are rated “from 1-10 on ‘shagability.’ ”

After Lloyd’s appointed its first female boss, Dame Inga Beale, in 2014, it is claimed she was bombarded with anonymous letters including one which called for her to “go and die”.

“No one should ever experience harassment of any kind at work, and it is distressing to hear that this is still happening,” John Neal, Lloyd’s new CEO, told the publication in a statement.

“We take it extremely seriously and will be talking to the Lloyd’s market to ensure that we stamp out these inappropriate behaviours. Lloyd’s has worked really hard to put the broadest inclusion agenda at the centre of everything we do.”

Sheila Cameron, chief executive of the Lloyd’s Market Association, said: “Sexual harassment is simply indefensible in any workplace and all instances should be dealt with swiftly and appropriately . . . Both victims and witnesses of any form of workplace harassment must be encouraged to come forward.”

A representative for Lloyds of London did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.