A company has been slammed for bragging that it was treating staff to a day off after the Euro 2020 final - before emailing workers to drop the offer.
Online beauty firm LookFantastic boasted that it would let employees skip work the day after England's clash with Italy if it got enough Instagram likes.
The retailer made the promise on the condition that its post hit 7,000 likes - telling social media users that "the fate of Team Fantastic" was in their hands.
The Instagram post read: "IT'S COMING HOME. In honour of that, we've decided to give you the power on what time our teams start work on Monday...
"You need to act quick though - we'll take the count at 5pm!"
Followers were quick to help out, with the post reaching 30,000 likes before the end of the day.
But the company then sent an internal email dropping the offer.
Workers were also told they were "lucky to have the 12pm start," according to The Sun Online.
The retailer has since tried to distance itself from the initial email by saying it had not been sent by senior management. It was unable to specify who had sent the email.
LookFantastic has now insisted that staff will get Monday off regardless of the message, which stated that the guarantee of a day off was "not official comms".
"It’s just embarrassing really, it’s also just poor form to put something out there like that," one former employee said.
"Your staff are being treated one way, but then internally you’re sending an email to say the complete opposite.
"I think everyone is disgusted really. That's what they think is okay to put out there, then they’re going to go back on internally, just for promotion of the brand.
People have taken to social media accusing the company of putting a "gimmick" and a "publicity stunt" over treating their staff well.
One Instagram user wrote: "This is fake, hard working employees have just got an email saying that this isn't 'official.'
"How unfair and two-faced. All for a few likes!"
Another person wrote in the comments: "Terrible to post this and then email them to say it's not happening."
The firm is understood to have U-turned on the claims in the email after the backlash, according to The Sun Online. Staff have now been told they will get Monday off.
A spokesperson from The Hut Group, which owns LookFantastic, said: "We are incredibly proud of what this England team has achieved and, in so doing, they have already made history.
"We will be cheering them all the way in the final and we are delighted that all of THG’s employees will be able to enjoy watching the game in full knowledge that they can either enjoy the day off on Monday or take a day off in lieu, recognising our national team’s success.”
