About a decade ago I went to see Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin at his then headquarters in Camden.
He was friendly, I guess you could say charming, and — you know — a character.
The meeting started quirky, and moved quickly into strange by way of eccentric.
We sat on a big table at the centre of the warehouse while young, good-looking trendy people, mostly women, went about their work.
Kelvin decided he would get me a girlfriend, evidently feeling I needed help in this area. He said: “Let’s see how many women we can get to come and sit with you.”
Since he was the big boss, the all-powerful founder and chief executive, the answer was: how ever many he asked.
Passing women were dragooned to come and make small talk. For them it was probably a tedious distraction, the sort of thing Kelvin just made them do sometimes.
For me it was excruciatingly embarrassing. You couldn’t say it was bullying of either them or me. But it was certainly uncomfortable.
None of this proves anything, other than perhaps that Kelvin is a bit peculiar and in serious need of someone senior to tell him to knock it off.
But it wasn’t exactly a surprise to read that workers have started an online petition that accuses him of making “sexual innuendos at staff” and “stroking people’s necks”.
Hugs are just part of the company culture, says the company. There will, of course, be a thorough independent investigation, though it is hard to see how that goes. Who’s the top firm for probes into alleged neck stroking?
It’s tempting to think that the staff are being over-sensitive, depending what the thorough independent investigation uncovers.
But even the gentler of the alleged behaviours seems to belong to a different age, the passing of which we should not mourn.
I’m trying to think under what circumstances my boss would stroke my neck. None leap to mind.
