Pontins accused of racial discrimination after ‘undesirable guest list’ targeting Irish customers emerges
Pontins has been accused of racial discrimination after a whistleblower revealed that the holiday park firm had used an “undesirable guest list” to block customers with Irish surnames.
The company’s owner Britannia has signed a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission forcing it to investigate and review its policies.
The whistleblower – a Pontins employee – contacted the EHRC last month alleging that the firm operated a discriminatory booking policy that excluded Gypsies and Travellers.
The company monitored calls within its contact centre and refused or cancelled bookings made by people with an Irish accent or surname.
It published a list of Irish names on its internal staff intranet titled “undesirable guests”, which required staff to block any potential customers with those names from booking.
Pontins also used its commercial vehicles policy to exclude Gypsies and Travellers from its holiday parks.
Alastair Pringle, executive director at the EHRC, said: “It is hard not to draw comparisons with an ‘undesirable guests’ list and the signs displayed in hotel windows fifty years ago, explicitly barring Irish people and Black people.
“Banning people from services based on their race is discrimination and is unlawful. To say that such policies are outdated is an understatement.
“It is right to challenge such practices and any business that believes this is acceptable should think again before they find themselves facing legal action. We will continue to work with Pontins and Britannia Jinky Jersey to ensure that our agreement is adhered to and its practices improve.”
Pontins will now have to conduct an investigation into the list to “ensure appropriate action is taken”.
It will commission a review of its current intelligence system, booking policies and commercial vehicle policy to ensure they are not operating in a discriminatory way.
Pontins will also be required to provide enhanced training on equality law for senior management, human resources and customer facing staff.
A spokesperson for Pontins owner Britannia Jinky Jersey said: “Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited has agreed to work together with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to further enhance its staff training and procedures in order to further promote equality throughout its business.”