BrewDog apologizes after staff accused founders of creating ‘culture of fear’ Business News

BrewDog apologized after former workers alleged that there is a “culture of fear” in the brewing company, with “toxic attitudes” towards junior staff.

In an open letter, the signatories said a “significant number” of former employees suffered from mental illness as a result of their work at the company.

They claimed the Scottish brewer was founded on a “cult of personality” around its founders, James Watt and Martin Dickie.

The group, which calls itself Punks With Purpose, wrote: “Unfortunately, being treated like a human hasn’t always been easy for those who work at BrewDog.

“Frankly speaking, the greatest shared experience of former staff members is a residual sense of fear.

“Afraid to talk about the atmosphere we were in and afraid of the repercussions even after we left.”

He alleged that managers treated staff “as they wanted, with no repercussions – making them feel demeaned and / or pressured to work beyond their capabilities, and often ending up feeling pressured out of the company.”

In response to the letter, Mr Watt said BrewDog was sorry and would not dispute the allegations but would “listen, learn and act”.

He said in a statement: “We are committed to doing better, not just in reaction to this, but always, and we will reach out to our entire team past and present to find out more.

“Most importantly, at the moment, we’re sorry.”

BrewDog, founded in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire in 2007, is valued at around $ 2 billion (£ 1.4 billion). Its canned and bottled beers are stocked in supermarkets and it operates numerous bars across the UK.

The company is considered a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the mass market.

In a passage addressed directly to Mr. Watt, the letter read: “You are responsible for this rotten culture.

“Your attitude and actions are central to how BrewDog is viewed, inside and out.

“By valuing growth, speed and action above all else, your business has achieved incredible things, but at the expense of those who made your dreams come true.”