By Gavin Mackintosh
Henry Birch, the newly appointed CEO of Shops direct retired as CEO in the middle of a discrimination investigation, which he failed to address adequately. The Eye Of Media.Com can reveal. Birch, who is credited for improving the financial growth of the Rank Group failed to resolve a shameful case of discrimination hanging over the establishment over which he presided for four years.
The 49 year old businessman was contacted by Southend MP, James Dudderidge, over complaints that the manager of one of the casinos under his jurisdiction had ejected a black male from their premises without providing a reason, and overruling his deputy who had approved the man’s entry . The casino provided no reason for his ejection, and gave him no right of appeal.
Birch, and the manager of the Grovesnor Casino, disgraceful Kevin Harrison, are being probed for their handling of the complaint, which has been ongoing for 6 months. The complaint was initially logged as one of racial discrimination, but was changed to one of ‘discrimination’ and ‘abuse of power’. A report is underway to be sent to the Gambling Commission to call for Harrison’s resignation as a man unfit for the position he holds as general manager of the casino.
The Casino’s customer’s manager who initially took the complaint told The Eye Of Media.Com the stance of the casino was unreasonable. Birch made efforts to ask the Grovesnor Casino on Southend to at least refund the £4 drink they seized from the man, but appears to have lacked the strength of character to enforce his instructions.
Birch is reputed to be a successful businessman, but his knowledge and awareness of equality of treatment and discrimination laws is to be examined. He left the Rank Group to join Sports Direct as CEO, without resolving the investigation which will be inherited by the new CEO.
The man had been banned from the casino by the Casino’s doorman over an allegation the doorman made. The deputy manager overruled the doorman, only for the manager to disregard his deputy in an unprofessional show of arrogance. The man’s drink was also seized from him.
Birch told MP Dudderidge that he had asked the £4 to be refunded to the man, but expressed surprise that the money has still not been refunded. Birch had announced in March that he would be departing Rank Group, giving a one year notice, but he left within two months of his announcement. Birch had supported the idea of the casino expelling the man form their premises without providing a reason, despite hearing the circumstances.
The man who insists on anonymity told The Eye Of Media.Com : ” I was initially ejected from the casino because I accused the doorman of acting in a way that may be racist. He had accused me of taking a drink that wasn’t mine, even after I told him the owner of the drink was in the smoking section and was a friend if mine. The doorman refused to confirm my claim, so when I reported him to the deputy manager, he allowed me back in. Surprisingly, within about 10 mins of being sitting down to a drink I had just bought, the manager of the Casino, Kevin Harrison asked me to leave, and took my drink from me. I personally think the whole event was racist because there is no other explanation for such a pathetic move from a manager”
No evidence of verbal racism was displayed on the evening in question, but the action of the manager of the casino was disgraceful . The Eye Of Media.com concludes it to amount to an abuse of power, that leaves the suspicion of racism open. If the deputy manager had approved of the man’s re-entry to the premises, the general manager’s decision to dismiss his deputy’s judgement without explanation is a serious professional failing on his part.
ETHICAL
Henry Birch’s integrity or ethical principles in some way becomes questionable in terms of resolving complex issues that may surround equality issues in a work place. Surely, his successor will inherit the remainder of an investigation which has three writers and one researcher keeping a close eye on. Private license organisations have long applied the internal practice of ejecting people without providing a reason, but The Eye Of Media.Com has successfully confronted bullish practices like these in London, some sections of West Yorkshire, and a few in the Midlands. A body of researchers are currently examining all the arguments on both sides for an overall report to be presented to Parliament once completed.
A lack of clear legal guidelines has led to a practice that affords private license owners a blanket right to behave how they want, even if it is unlawful. They set their own laws, laws that allow them to discriminate on a protected group without discriminating on every person from that group since an act that foolish would be prohibited and obvious. The Eye Of Media.Com has asked mr.Birch to justify his ability to manage complex inter-relational issues that may arise under his leadership as CEO of shop direct .
Mr.Birch’s professional experience is vast, but whether he can handle professional challenges that may arise is something Shop Direct would be expected to be aware of. His inability to address and resolve a dispute of this nature is not an encouraging sign of a rounded leadership, but his business skills and acumen is something that cannot be denied