Watch: Fired B&Q employee delivers slurred final message on store tannoy
A fired B&Q employee claims he was banned from every branch of the store in the UK after making a foul-mouthed customer announcement at the time he was fired.
Adam Powis, 18, from Bristol, used two swear words when he made an announcement about tannoy at the hardware giant’s Weston-super-Mare, Somerset branch last November.
After he was sacked, he switched to public address in the store and videotaped himself as he tired to shock staff and customers.
He later shared the video on TikTok, where it has been viewed over two million times.
In the clip, Powis says, “This is a client announcement. I just got fired and B&Q is a total jerk. Damn everyone, have a good day.”
After delivering the message, Powis left the store for the last time without speaking to the staff.
He claimed he was fired for smoking electronic cigarettes outside the store’s designated smoking area.
Other staff claimed he “behaved unreasonably” because he did the same but wasn’t fired.
Powis said he received a letter from B&Q titled “banning notice” and that if he sets foot in one of their stores, he will be treated as an “intruder”, which could result in legal action against him.
The student said he “didn’t shop there regularly anyway” and claimed he would ask others to come in and get something for him.
Powis said he regretted his rant as future employers could see the video.
He had been working part-time for about six months in the construction department of B&Q, where he was trained to cut materials for sale.
“I’m not really ashamed but my heart was beating fast,” Powis said.
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“I was dating and I thought it would be funny, so I was a little irrational. I didn’t really think about it.
“I made a mistake at work and then they took it further than necessary, so I got a little pissed off. It was nothing serious.”
“I really enjoyed the job. I was good at it and I was never late. I wouldn’t speak badly about the company, but I felt like I was treated differently.
“I understand the criticism, but the joke is a joke and you can either take it or not. It was staff-oriented in a way, but not maliciously.
“I didn’t hear anything from them afterward, so I thought I’d put it on TikTok as a joke.
“I probably shouldn’t have [made the announcement] but died. I’m a little sorry. Not because of what I said, but more about future job opportunities.
“If a company sees this, they may think I’m that kind of person, but I’m good at my job and [in] I just got a little hot at the time.”
The video was removed by TikTok earlier this week.
A B&Q spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on individual cases. We have agreed on the processes in place and the decision to review a colleague’s employment is not taken lightly and takes all relevant circumstances into account.”