沃达丰前员工Adrian Howe于2018年8月27日被发现溺水身亡，距其特许经营店开业仅5天[1]。Howe的家属认为其死亡与来自沃达丰的特许经营压力密切相关[1]。据记载，Howe曾对其子表示"沃达丰控制了我"[1]，其笔记中还出现过"9月1日死亡就好"的字样[1]。
沃达丰近期与62名前特许经营商达成和解协议，涉及最高8500万英镑的赔偿[1]。这62名特许经营商代表了总计167名沃达丰特许经营商的近40%[1]。Howe的女儿Kirsty-Anne Holmes随后发起呼吁，要求推出"Adrian法案"以加强对特许经营商的保护，指出"英国目前对特许经营商没有任何保护——这必须改变"[1]。英国首相Keir Starmer已在1月份承诺对特许经营协议相关法律进行审查[1]。
Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone manager, was found drowned on August 27, 2018, just five days after opening his franchised store [1]. His family has attributed his death to the mounting pressures associated with the company's franchising model, prompting renewed calls for legislative protection of franchisees in the United Kingdom.
Vodafone has since reached a settlement with 62 former franchisees, offering compensation of up to £85 million [1]. These 62 individuals represent approximately 40 percent of the 167 Vodafone franchisees they collectively represent [1]. Following the settlement, Howe's daughter, Kirsty-Anne Holmes, has advocated for the introduction of an "Adrian's law" to strengthen franchisee safeguards, stating: "There is no protection for franchisees in the UK – that needs to change" [1]. Her campaign has gained political traction, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledging in January to review franchising agreement legislation [1].
The circumstances surrounding Howe's case have deepened concerns about the pressures faced by franchisees. According to personal notes, Howe had told his son that "Vodafone has me by the balls," reflecting the strain he experienced [1]. Documents discovered among his belongings contained an entry reading "1st September nice to have death," raising troubling questions about his state of mind during this period [1].