Pets at Home Lectures Employees About ‘White Privilege’, ‘Transphobia’ and ‘Correct Pronouns’

The latest company to immerse its entire existence into ‘diversity’ nonsense is, you guessed it, the pet superstore Pets At Home.

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The UK chain of pet stores has issued its thousands of employees with materials that hammer into them the way they must think on topics including gender identity, using the ‘correct pronouns’, ‘white privilege’, and how being “childless” is also a privilege.

Once again, this has only come to light because a concerned employee sent the materials to James Esses, who previously exposed the lunacy going on behind the scenes at retail giant John Lewis.

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A ‘diversity and inclusion’ handbook was provided to all staff outlining policies and terms they must adhere to, with the company calling it “our expectations of you as one of our colleagues”.

The handbook notes “We ask that you support diversity and inclusion everyday by recognising that your individual actions will impact on others and that you have a responsibility to help us create opportunities for diverse people in an inclusive environment”.

It goes on to provide a glossary of ‘diverse’ terms, some of which presume staff are stupid and do not know what black people are.

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The book also covers ‘White privilege’, defining it as “The unquestioned and unearned set of advantages and benefits bestowed on people because they are white”.

Esses notes that “Both the tone and content of this statement are shocking. To suggest to white members of staff that they are inherently privileged, knowing nothing about their personal set of circumstances, is unconscionable.”

He adds that “While Pets at Home are at pains to ensure adherence to this terminology, they seem quite content to erase the concept of what it means to be a woman. For example, in their policy on maternity leave, they have replaced the word ‘woman’ with “pregnant person” and “someone who is pregnant” Disgraceful.”

Esses then describes how “In a staff webinar on ‘Allyship’, the facilitator begins by reeling off her list of privileges, like some sort of cult-like ritual. She states: “My privilege is that I’m a white, straight, non-disabled, childless, married, economically stable, homeowner, living in a developed country”.“

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There’s some sort of ‘diversity’ wheel pie chart thing that includes all the ‘non-mandatory’ stuff employees must consider.

The book also asks staff to“consider asking suppliers about their own approach to diversity and inclusion. Choosing suppliers who value diversity and inclusion helps us to have a wider positive impact”.

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