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Former staff of fast-fashion brand accuse retailer of bullying

FORMER staff at fast fashion brand Missy Empire have said that they have been subjected to bullying and abusive and degrading comments.

The Manchester-based retailer claims to empower “kick-ass females.”

But 18 former staff spoke out to the Guardian, calling it a “toxic” workplace.

They said staff were asked to model clothes for managing director Ash Siddique, who made degrading comments about models’ body shapes and physical appearance.

One female worker wrote to the HR of Frasers Group, who owns the brand, saying that Mr Siddique “treats staff like they are worth nothing, patronising, degrading. Swears consistently at you like you are dirt and belittles you until you submit.”

It also said: “Mr Siddique comments on people’s bodies and looks and described a previous model as ‘fat with the pig nose’.”

It said the director created “a toxic work environment where people feared for their jobs.”

The Guardian said that it had seen a contract which shows that staff, predominately young female workers, were not paid for overtime and that their lunches were also unpaid.

Frasers Group did not respond to a request for comment.

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