AIG employees in Europe are angry over pressure from the US business to return their bonuses, and have labelled the requests ‘blackmail’, according to reports in Reuters.

AIG employees in Europe are angry over pressure from the US business to return their bonuses, and have labelled the requests ‘blackmail’, according to reports in Reuters.

“The vast majority of people in London have made the decision that the request is pretty offensive,” said one employee, adding that the decision from head office “effectively constitutes blackmail, whether it is illegal or not.”

Compliance officer David Haig, from the Banque AIG unit in London has even approached the Serious Organised Crime Agency to see whether demands to return payments can be viewed as extortion.

An internal email, sent by Haig and seen by Reuters, recommends employees do nothing until the issue has been looked into. The agency would not confirm or deny that the matter was under investigation.

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