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LLOYDS has told staff to stop using the word “widow” — despite it owning Scottish Widows.

The bank fears the word may “trigger unwarranted personal memories of trauma and upsetting situations”.

Lloyds has told staff to stop using the word 'widow' — despite it owning Scottish Widows
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Lloyds has told staff to stop using the word 'widow' — despite it owning Scottish WidowsCredit: scottishwidows.co.uk

It suggests using the term “separated” instead.

The advice is in the bank’s inclusive language guide which also warns the technical phrase “penetration testing” can be seen as gender-biased.

But Mark Brown, of the staff trade union, said: “The more we allow people to claim they have been offended because they disagree with the use of certain words or phrases, the more they will seize the opportunity to be offended.

“Lloyds is engaged in the most hypocritical form of virtue signalling.

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“If it really believed in the use of inclusive language, then it would change the Scottish Widows brand name immediately.

“The fact that’s not going to happen tells you all you need to know about ‘inclusive language’ in Lloyds Banking Group.

“It’s a gimmick – Lloyds has become a woke laughing stock.”

A Lloyds spokesman said : “The voluntary inclusivity tool is designed to be a self-moderated way for colleagues to explore how people may feel about different words and phrases.

“As is par for the course when crowd-sourcing for ideas, some are better than others.”

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