ACCOUNTABILITY

U.K. Boss of KPMG Resigns After Telling Staff Unconscious Bias Is ‘Complete Crap’

In virtual town hall, U.K. chairman told his well-paid staff not to “sit there and moan” about cuts to their bonuses during the pandemic

The U.K. boss of accountancy giant KPMG has resigned from his “untenable” $2.3 million a year job after he was recorded telling his staff on a Zoom call that the notion of unconscious bias was “complete and utter crap” and told staff to not “play the role of victim unless you’re sick.” Bill Michael also provoked outrage when he told his well-paid staff not to “sit there and moan” about cuts to their bonuses during the pandemic. A recording of Monday’s Zoom meeting obtained by MailOnline showed the U.K. chairman tell 1,500 consultants at the virtual town hall on Monday: “There is no such thing as unconscious bias. I don’t buy it. Because after every single unconscious-bias training that’s ever been done, nothing’s ever improved.” Michael also angered some staff when he told them he had been meeting clients for coffee. One attendee said: “He literally said, ‘I know I’m breaking the law,’ to meet up with people during the pandemic.”