Britons could face huge fines for giving colleagues "rude" nicknames in light of a ruling made against a London lawyer.
A senior solicitor was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £16,000 in costs after giving offensive nicknames to colleagues at BNP Paribas.
Leo Foster, who worked at the multinational bank's office in the capital, referred to co-workers using "rude" monikers over the course of many months.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority then took disciplinary action after allegations against Foster emerged in business newspaper City AM.
The case set a precedent that inappropriate workplace behaviour can result in substantial financial penalties.
Foster referred to team members as "Jabba the Hutt", "Pol Pot", "The Idiot", "Mad Paul" and "The Twittering Fool", the solicitors disciplinary tribunal heard.
He also branded a Chinese colleague "Hu She", inspired by the "Who he" joke in Private Eye magazine, despite her name being pronounced "Who-ee".
Foster admitted using these "inappropriate, unprofessional and rude nicknames" on "numerous occasions", including in emails.
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He accepted his colleagues did not consent to the nicknames - but insisted he never had any racist intention towards his Chinese co-worker.
The tribunal also heard he described bosses at the bank as "c***s" and questioned whether one was autistic.
In one email, Foster wrote: "Who the f*** is this?" whilst in another he stated: "Looks like a bunch of c***s."
The hearing was told Foster had been "disgruntled with management changes" at the bank.
His unprofessional conduct was documented in numerous communications over an extended period.
Foster's lawyer told the SDT he was "extremely apologetic and had not intended to cause anyone offence or hurt", according to The Law Society.
The tribunal heard the misconduct occurred "during a stressful time" and represented only "a small fraction of the correspondence he sent".
In its judgement, the SDT stated: "Mr Foster had found the changes to the working environment difficult, but he had failed to handle this with the standards expected of a solicitor of his experience and standing."
Following the disciplinary action, the hearing was told that Foster had "negotiated an exit from the bank", quietly retiring in 2022.
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A senior solicitor was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £16,000 in costs after giving offensive nicknames to colleagues at BNP Paribas.
Leo Foster, who worked at the multinational bank's office in the capital, referred to co-workers using "rude" monikers over the course of many months.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority then took disciplinary action after allegations against Foster emerged in business newspaper City AM.
The case set a precedent that inappropriate workplace behaviour can result in substantial financial penalties.
Foster referred to team members as "Jabba the Hutt", "Pol Pot", "The Idiot", "Mad Paul" and "The Twittering Fool", the solicitors disciplinary tribunal heard.
He also branded a Chinese colleague "Hu She", inspired by the "Who he" joke in Private Eye magazine, despite her name being pronounced "Who-ee".
Foster admitted using these "inappropriate, unprofessional and rude nicknames" on "numerous occasions", including in emails.
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He accepted his colleagues did not consent to the nicknames - but insisted he never had any racist intention towards his Chinese co-worker.
The tribunal also heard he described bosses at the bank as "c***s" and questioned whether one was autistic.
In one email, Foster wrote: "Who the f*** is this?" whilst in another he stated: "Looks like a bunch of c***s."
The hearing was told Foster had been "disgruntled with management changes" at the bank.
His unprofessional conduct was documented in numerous communications over an extended period.
Foster's lawyer told the SDT he was "extremely apologetic and had not intended to cause anyone offence or hurt", according to The Law Society.
The tribunal heard the misconduct occurred "during a stressful time" and represented only "a small fraction of the correspondence he sent".
In its judgement, the SDT stated: "Mr Foster had found the changes to the working environment difficult, but he had failed to handle this with the standards expected of a solicitor of his experience and standing."
Following the disciplinary action, the hearing was told that Foster had "negotiated an exit from the bank", quietly retiring in 2022.
Find Out More...