BrewDog bosses have been accused of orchestrating a toxic culture of bullying of staff at a dozen bars, including one in Aberdeen.
Dozens of the craft ale giant’s workers have signed a formal grievance with Unite the Union, which alleges that people who have attempted to improve conditions have been “sacked or forced out”.
On the eve of the firm’s AGM in Ellon, the signatories are urging management to change their ways and to bring in an independent person to address what they say are a raft of problems.
Ellon-based BrewDog is one of the north-east’s biggest employers and employs thousands of people at bars around the world.
We have spoken to staff – including people working in the Granite City – about their experiences of working at BrewDog.
Many of them have told us that, while they enjoy the camaraderie of working alongside colleagues at their level, their view is that managers place them at risk and come down heavy on people who raise problems.
Among the most serious allegations in the new letter are that “workers are being put at serious risk of electrocution” in cellars with wet floors and exposed wires, while others are having to serve customers without running water.
A BrewDog spokesman said the firm is totally committed to making the company a brilliant place to work and that it would continue to engage directly with its staff to that end.
‘Shocking health and safety breaches’
A total of 72 BrewDog staff have signed the letter – including seven staff from the Union Square bar in Aberdeen.
Unite has sent the letter to BrewDog’s new CEO James Arrow.
The union wants people who first backed BrewDog by buying shares in it when it launched in Fraserburgh in 2007 to ask management to improve worker relations at the AGM, on Saturday.
A Unite spokeswoman told The P&J: “The way in which our members across BrewDog have been treated is morally reprehensible and almost certainly illegal.
“We have been shown evidence of shocking health-and-safety breaches, which have put workers and customers at serious risk of harm.
“It is one of the worst examples of systemic bullying and toxic culture from management we have ever come across.
“When workers tried to challenge these awful conditions, they were victimised and in some cases sacked.
BrewDog no longer pays all staff the real living wage
“Workers across BrewDog have had enough and they’re collectively challenging these pay and conditions through their union.
“We will be doing everything in our power legally and industrially to support them.”
In January, BrewDog – which often hails its ethical approach to business – scrapped its commitment to paying the real living wage.
Some of its staff responded by signing an open letter and more than 20,000 people have signed a petition urging the firm to think again.
The January, letter was signed by staff members in the UK and other countries including the US.
It read: “We have been told directly by workers that, where they seen to be engaging with a union (or each other) regarding pay, there are some members of bar management who they would expect to retaliate.
“It was suggested they might reprimand or even dismiss workers under spurious reasoning, or bully workers into resigning.”
Only 4 of 48 signatories remain
Earlier this year, 48 staff working at the BrewDog London Waterloo bar signed a letter complaining about working conditions.
They raised concerns about a “dangerous” cellar which they said has a risk of electrocution due to low-hanging electricity wires above melted ice on the floor.
Now, the formal grievance has alleged that “of the 48 workers who signed the collective letter at Waterloo, only four remain. A total of 92% have left – that is not just natural attrition”.
The grievance says: “Given the serious nature of this complaint, the breadth of feeling among so many staff and the involvement of senior managers, we are writing to you as CEO of BrewDog.
“There is a toxic and systemic culture of bullying and victimisation.
“For years now, the company has been governed with an oppressive culture of bullying and victimisation, which stifles any and all attempts to collectively challenge serious issues or improve pay and conditions.
“Dozens of former colleagues have been sacked or forced out by senior management for attempting to challenge everything from serious health and safety breaches to known fascists groups being booked in the venue.”
‘It sends a message that staff are not valued’
“The company’s decision to withdraw from the real living wage earlier this year has caused significant financial hardship for workers and sends a very clear message to new workers that they are not valued any more than the legal minimum wage.
“Given that this is a national grievance affecting workers from Aberdeen to London, we would like you (James Arrow) to hear this grievance to ensure that we have an independent hearing manager who has sufficient authority to hear the meeting inline with the ACAS code of practice.”
A BrewDog spokesman said: “We’re totally committed to making BrewDog a brilliant place to work and we will continue to engage directly with our people to that end.”
‘Far more generous than the industry average’
BrewDog, which has made a loss in the last three years it has declared accounts, addressed other complaints about staff pay earlier this year.
A BrewDog spokesman said: “As a result of the changes we’re making – and despite unprecedented challenges in the hospitality sector – our staff outside London will be getting a 4.95% increase in base pay, and crew currently working in London will be paid 4.5% above the National Living Wage.
“We have always been fully committed to doing the best we can for our people, and our benefits package is far more generous than the industry average.
“Last year we gave over £350,000 to our bars team via our unique profit-share programme.
“Our team also benefits from a unique bonus scheme which sees all crew members receive an additional £1 an hour for the month for surpassing customer service standards.
“In addition, we offer signature benefits like “pawternity” leave and paid sabbaticals after five years of service.”