Bank boss sorry after describing workers as 'lower value human capital'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98rqld1j3yoOpen linkView original on discuss.online657
Comments87https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98rqld1j3yoOpen linkView original on discuss.online
No he isn't.
He is sorry. Sorry he got caught.
"I'm sorry the lower value human capital heard me call them that."
Whew. Thank goodness that passed
The biggest clue was when they started referring to us as a "resource". We're just another input on their spreadsheet.
I used to work at a place that actually changed the name from Human Resources Dept. to Human Capital Dept. and none of the higher ups could figure out why that pissed everybody off.
Honestly people being either a “resource” or “capital” still makes people sound like they’re vespene gas or something
Frankly “people team” is one I’ve been seeing and I think that’s disingenuous or condescending or something. I don’t know what I think it should be.
It should be “union steward.”
Honestly, capital sounds better. Resources are something you comsume. Capital is something you invest with/in. People are just used to being called resources.
Always have been. They’re just saying the quiet part out loud.
CEOs shouldn’t apologize for fireable offenses. They should just be fired.
Out of a cannon.
Into the sun
Uh why would the board fire him for doing his job
Actually using that term was a slipup for sure, but you bet your ass finding ways to cut HR costs is part of his job description
Who the fuck cares if he claims to be “sorry”? This wasn’t a case of awkward phrasing or poorly chosen words. It’s a reflection of how he thinks, and will continue to think. Even if he loses his job (which he won’t), he’d only be replaced by someone with the same attitude.
I am very sorry ^that I got caught^
Agreed that this is the actual feeling he has.
They don't view us as human beings or at the very least equal. Have no remorse for when terrible things happen to them.
"Sorry not sorry that it was recorded." Why do they waste their time asking for forgiveness?
Luigi.
The Mario Bros of this world know that these rich fucks aren't being sincere.
They are SO HORNY at the thought of not paying wages.
It's not even that since they usually end up paying more for AI even when it produces far worse results. The rich just hold a contempt towards the working class and would rather the money they'd use for salaries go to their rich tech company friends in the form of AI-use invoices
Yeah specifically with AI, that and the whole “scan and summarize all cloud messages and storage and remove the average person’s ability to buy any technology and force them into a locked down cloud only experience” has been coming together for a while now so they’re edging so hard
But I mean in general they just can’t comprehend not keeping it all
Saying the quiet part out loud.
“Sorry I told you what I actually think”
I’ve never understood the purpose of forcing executives to apologize.
He said exactly what he meant, to a group of investors who largely feel positively about his message.
A forced apology is condescending and meaningless, and therefore I cannot see how it improves optics in any way.
The culture of corporate of PR insists that not only do meaningless canned responses help, but they're invaluable. After all, the media will faithfully record those canned replies and reproduce them as though they're salient information, no matter how empty and vapid the cloud of buzzwords produced.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The only job that I am 100% certain could be successfully offloaded onto an AI is CEO.
I dunno, those Indian call center reps that can speak English but not understand it can already emulate what AI does fine. Both don’t understand what they are doing or saying and just following an obnoxious script.
The problem isn't even this particular pos, its that almost all rich people think this way.
This guy provides zero value to society. He steals value created by others and claims it for himself. He's on the list.
Bank boss sorry after being called out for describing workers as lower value human capital
FTFY
Bank boss delivers opposing sentiments in fraudulent effort to increse personal wealth by increasing bank's stock price.
FTFY
(You assume a person with no empathy can be sorry)
This skinsuit and whatever is inside it are the main reason countries are failing, we have robots without any capacity for humanity in positions to direct our lives, not just in banks, politics, healthcare, security and none of them care about us, we're nothing to them, barely accepted as an annoyance that they have to pay.
Sorry he got caught.
For generations, we were taught to value the opinions of the wealthy. Now we know for the vast majority of billionaires, their extreme wealth is mostly due to chance, not inherent ability, or even worse is actually evidence of their lack of character. The illusion has fallen away. They are the last people we should seek advice from on living a moral life. We should punish them for the act of hoarding immoral amounts of wealth to themselves. I am encouraged because this viewpoint seems to be spreading, and even more encouraged because I think they're scared. They should be scared.
No they're not scared. I can't disclose any details, but if I were scared I'd walk around with a bodyguard and wouldn't have a cellphone.
The very wealthy spend lots of money on private security. Look up Erik Prince and his crazy family... DeVos etc. When Gates spoke at my uni (this was 20 years ago) he arrived in a motorcade of 10 armored Suburbans
Yup https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicahunter-hart/2025/05/09/how-the-ultra-wealthy-are-protecting-themselves-against-arson-attacks-kidnapping-and-worse/
No, I am saying I have personal experience, the details of which I cannot disclose.
Sure. It's possible you may. However, you sound like a 12 year old boy claiming something grandiose. If you really have a relationship that you cannot disclose, don't go telling people that. No one will believe you, unless they're the type to fall for Alex Jones level nonsense. Claims require proof, or at least common or searchable knowledge, otherwise who can take your claim seriously?
I could claim I also know a billionaire and claim the opposite of you. Or that the billionaire you know is just a moron. Many of them are.
Edit: Also, why do people always assume everyone would do the same thing as themselves? Just because you wouldn't carry a cell phone doesn't mean everyone has the same paranoia as you.
Ok, those are all fair points. There isn't really any other medium where I can express "hey, it's weird that these people have cell phones when they shouldn't and no body guards where they should." This is something in my life, this post made me think of it. Believe it or don't believe it I guess.
Edit: There are many business, family and social contexts under which a person might be acquainted with a billionaire, depending on one's line of work, region, and social connections. Most billionaires aren't famous.
I was not refuting your point, just adding my own point after it. Our personal experiences obviously differ. I've had to give facility tours to security details in advance of a UHNW individual's arrival on multiple occasions.
That makes sense. I do not know any famous people at all. I know some retired performers who are still on the con circuit, but they'd never be recognized, and they're not billionaires. The billionaires I've met all look like they shop at Target and they put all their money into their family and into assets. You wouldn't know to look at them, at least I wouldn't.
We gotta badass here!!
Yeah, I am a badass, but I don't know what that has to do with anything.
Ooooh, found the dangerous badass who's gonna make 'em sorry. You must have a very particular set of skills! Help us, Obi Wan, you're our only hope.
If you look at my previous comment history, you'd know that I do not believe doing violence to individual billionaires will actually work to do anything positive for society. Also, there is a reason why I know these people, and the reason ISN'T "I'm secretly an assassin."
Ok... your comment history says you don't know "times tables" past 5x and that a link was "unreadable" which I checked and it was fine. Izzat you, Mister Bond?
Anyway, whatever the secret plan is, please hit the big red button ASAP so we can all thank you!
My browser blocks the link because the site thinks I'm using an adblocker, it is therefore unreadable. Yes I never memorized my times tables. These are all pretty irrelevant to what I said.
I do not have a secret plan. I don't know who you think I am or why you think I said what I said. Please stop replying to me, I'm sure you're a nice person.
hes only sorry he was caught voicing his real beliefs
Wow. Members of the first estate keep letting slip publicly who they really are and how they really feel.
Eventually, the third estate might get motivated to do something serious about it. Something terrible.
I don't know about "terrible". All possible actions I can think of sound "glorious" at worst.
I was making a French joke.
I hope he dies in a hotel fire
too kind. he should survive bankruptcy after having his identity stolen.
Oh good one! I like it
And then the fire thing.
Bank PR Team Issues Statement Claiming Boss is Sorry. Boss's Golf Game Uninterrupted.
The guy Bill Winters boasts a CBE, its on his workpage profile, and wiki.
FIGHT BACK
It could be worth emailing the hounours department 📢 📢 📢 [email protected] 📢 📢 📢 to request he is stripped of his order, arguing he brings the honours system in disrepute.
An individual may be appointed a CBE for having a prominent role at national level, or a leading role at regional level. The honour may also be conferred for a distinguished and innovative contribution to any area.
His statement stains the CBE values because it devalues people, it prioritises technology over employee welfare, undermines responsible leadership, and conflicts with the public‑service and ethical expectations associated with the honour. -
Let them know. its not a big thing but its something us plebs can do
Looks like his wife directs a a London theater. I bet her job isn't on the line. I know its not her fault but these rich arseholes need to feel consequence. I would be boycotting the theatre too. You lie with dogs you get fleas.
Bahahaha that's fucking rich. The British Empire, scion of good values 🙄
Look history...I cant argue. But the thing is this is something he values. So lets try and get that removed. We have to start using the system they built and manipulated - against these people.
Seven years guillotine. No trial.
Why do you think the US is repealing labor and safety laws? In the world that's coming, human life will be the cheapest resource.
Typical CEO and then you wonder why societies fall apart.
Make the guillotine great again
hey! please remove this rust, it's unsanitary, the cut could get infected!
Sorry, the rust removal costs extra.
Has he considered replacing saying things with eating shit and dying?
https://vger.to/eviltoast.org/post/27833827
He just described what other bank bosses think.
I've been irritated since around 1979 when we stopped being "personnel" and became "human resources". It's always puzzled me that there was no massive backlash to that.
He thinks of you as "lower value" so do you think he has any reservations about lying to you?
That should be the very last thing he reads.
He meant "vulgar pagans".
I love me some vulgar pagans. They're the best kind of pagans.
For saying the quiet part outloud.
I had a boss that used to say shit like this. He would say we need to hire someone else to do something because I should be doing “higher value” work. He meant it as a compliment but I always felt it was kinda gross to think like that.
I'm not going to defend your old boss. I will, on the other hand, point out that it's a good thing to reflect on what kind of capabilities every employee has, and to give them tasks that they're both qualified to do, but also which give them opportunities to develop their skillset. If you employ a chemist with a phd, you shouldn't be making them spend loads of time on stuff a lab technician can do. That's not saying the lab tech has any lower value (they're absolutely critical personnel), it's just recognising that the phd has a skill set that very few people have, so you should try to utilise that skill set in the best possible way, and offload tasks that others can do to those other people. Typically, this makes the phd happier, because they get to apply their specialised skills. It also typically makes the tech happier, because they're actually trusted to apply their skills (and they're typically better at what they do than the phd), and not made to feel like they're "second rate".
My point is really that I think it's a good thing to recognise that some people have highly specialised skill sets, and to try to optimise around letting people do what they do best, rather than making them slog though something someone else would do better anyway. I don't think your old boss worded it very nicely though.
The only people here conflating economic value with human worth are the people who are outraged. An easily automated employee isn't of high value to a company, like no shit.
“Babe! A new slur just dropped!”