A sacked B&Q worker says he has been permanently banned from every store in the UK after swearing into the microphone.
Adam Powis filmed himself shouting into the microphone as part of a final customer announcement in which he branded his colleagues 'c***' and exclaimed 'f**k everyone'. The viral video, which was shot at the hardware giant's Weston-super-Mare branch, was shot by the 18-year-old himself.
In the clip, he can be heard declaring 'this is a customer announcement. I just got sacked and B&Q are c****. F**k everyone. Have a nice day'. Adam, who admitted his heart was racing, walked away from the desk and left the store for the final time without acknowledging any staff or customers.
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The college student said he was sacked for vaping outside the designated smoking area and admits he 'acted irrationally' as he felt other staff who were guilty of doing the same thing weren't sacked. The video has since racked up 2.5 million views, with some viewers saying he was justified in doing what he did.
Shortly after the incident, Adam received a letter from B&Q with a 'banning notice', informing him that he will be treated as a 'trespasser' on any store location with a threat of legal action. Adam admits that he regrets the rant as other employers would be able to see the video.
Adam said: "I don't really get embarrassed but my heart was racing. I was on my way out and I thought it would be funny so I acted a bit irrationally. I didn't really think about it. I made a mistake at work and then they took it further than they needed to so I was a bit annoyed. It wasn't anything serious.
"I didn't think I deserved it because people have done worse things and they've not been fired. I've seen other staff [vape outside the designated area] and that's why I was a bit baffled. I actually enjoyed the job. I was good at it and I was never late. I wouldn't even talk bad about the company but I felt I was treated differently.
"I understand the criticism, but a joke is a joke and you can either take offence to it or you don't. It was directed to staff in a sense but it wasn't malicious. I didn't hear anything from them afterwards so I thought I'd put it on TikTok for a joke. It's so unexpected that some people think it's fake, but the banning order proves it.
"I probably shouldn't have [made the announcement] but it happened. I do regret it a bit. Not because of what I said but more about future job opportunities. If a company sees it then they might think I'm that sort of person but I'm good at my job and [in] the moment I got a bit heated.
"I'm not too bothered about the ban. I don't shop there on a regular basis. In future I might just have to get someone to go in for me."
Adam claims that he has smoked his e-cigarette outside the smoking area behind the store on one occasion when he was spotted and then sacked. However, he insists that he wasn't aware of the fuel and believes he should have been given a warning instead of outright losing his job.
Commenting on the video, one social media user said: "Is that your response? Then you justify why you were sacked from whatever you did before?"
Another commented: "There goes his reference." A third said: "Whether you should do this depends on why you were sacked."
But another commenter added: "I've always wanted to do this." And one joked: "You should have said everything is free for five minutes."
A B&Q spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases. We have agreed processes in place, and any decision to review a colleague's employment is not taken lightly and considers all relevant circumstances."
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