Optus apologises for job ad seeking ‘Anglo Saxon’ employee

Lindsay Bennett
By Lindsay Bennett | 17 April 2018
 

Optus has removed a job ad seeking an ‘Anglo Saxon’ employee who ‘lives near Neutral Bay’ and is addressing allegations of discrimination with an internal investigation.

The ad for a casual retail consultant appeared on employment site Seek and stated it “preferred” an “Anglo Saxon” candidate.

It was shared by Twitter user Catherine Snelson who tweeted a screenshot of the ad with the caption: "What were they thinking".

Optus responded to Snelson's Tweet adding that it would be taking "disciplinary action" to those who were involved in the posting of the ad.

Optus vice-president of human resources Vaughan Paul told AdNews there is an internal investigation underway.

He also reaffirmed Optus as a supporter of diversity, noting the telco giant employs staff representing more than 70 nationalities.

"This incident is unacceptable and does not reflect Optus' values of diversity and inclusion," he says.

"This error is a clear breach of our advertising standards and commitment to equal opportunity employment. Optus proudly supports diversity and employs staff representing more than 70 nationalities."

Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au

Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.

Read more about these related brands, agencies and people

comments powered by Disqus