BrewDog fights back after letter claims staff work in ‘culture of fear’

An open letter purportedly from disgruntled staff at BrewDog Waterloo claims they have endured a ‘horrific’ time due to ‘poor’ management practices.  

The group message shared on X says the workers have been subjected to a ‘culture of fear’ and that the craft beer giant ‘favours profits over people’. 

The allegations include claims of ‘bullying and gaslighting’ and says workers ‘have had to endure racism, sexism and ableism’.  

In specific examples, the letter cites workers being ‘shouted at during every shift’ and a cellar which is like an ‘obstacle course’ with kegs and bags of melting ice. 

BrewDog issued an emphatic rebuttal this evening, saying that the claims are ‘either completely false or grossly exaggerated’.

The company asserted that the allegations had been investigated ‘thoroughly’ and the bar, housed in a unit at Waterloo Station, was ‘unashamedly family friendly with a diverse crew’. 

The latest accusations follow another open letter published in June 2021 which was signed by 61 former members of staff and said to be supported by a further 45 who wanted to remain anonymous.

The earlier message made similar claims, alleging the company was ‘built on a cult of personality’ and staff had been left with mental health issues as a result of the management’s workplace practices.  

At the time, BrewDog co-founder James Watt apologised and promised to take action in light of the revelations. In a statement, he said the open letter was ‘upsetting, but so important.’ Mr Watt said he wasn’t going to ‘contradict or contest’ the claims but would ‘listen, learn and act.’  

However, the new letter says: ‘We feel our accounts at BrewDog Waterloo show that not only has the company not taken any reforms but the situation has become worse, with a profits and growth model followed at the cost of our mental and physical health.’ 

The message also claims: ‘We are the workers who have endured such a horrific time by management and the poor practices they have forced up us.

‘Most people until now will have been previously unaware of our plight and they will now be shocked by how far removed it is compared to the PR gloss pushed by BrewDog’s corporate team on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

‘To come forward in this way took a lot of bravery as we feel that management has instilled a culture of fear in our workplace especially when we attempt to fix some of the disgraceful practices that put us and our customers at risk.’ 

The letter makes reference to previous claims about the Scotland-based brewer in the BBC documentary, Disclosure: The Truth about BrewDog, which aired in 2022.  

The undersigned write: ‘We feel that our accounts at BrewDog Waterloo show that not only has the company not taken any reforms but the situation has become worse, with a profits and growth model followed at the cost our mental and physical health.’ 

In one of the examples of alleged poor working practices, the letter says: ‘It is common for us to be shouted at during every shift, usually in front of customers and be bullied in belittling ways — we cannot take breaks without being questioned, nor can we be seen to be talking to colleagues.’ 

The undersigned also alleged that they had raised the issue of the cellar ‘on numerous occasions but have been ignored and instead we have had to work with injuries’. 

In another claim, they say: ‘We have had to tolerate managers who boast about employing homeless people to collect glasses in exchange for inedible food — a charge management yet again ignored.’ 

The letter ends with the names of 13 people and the initials of 24 others.  

The message reads: ‘James, we know this is your favourite pub as you visit it most weeks. Is there any chance you could make the situation more equitable by acknowledging our plight?’  

The message was shared on X by beer writer David Jesudason, who wrote that it had been signed by BrewDog Waterloo staff. 

A spokesperson for BrewDog said: ‘We’ve been aware of the claims contained in this letter for several weeks and have investigated them all thoroughly. We can say, categorically, that all of these assertions are either completely false or grossly exaggerated.

‘The simple fact is, BrewDog Waterloo is a fantastic bar, unashamedly family friendly with a diverse crew of over 170. 

‘The bar operates within the terms of its licence at all times and its location within Waterloo Station, under the auspices of Network Rail, makes it one of the most tightly regulated, closely monitored and best run venues in the UK.

‘In recent weeks, the bar received a five-star rating from Environmental Health Officers. We are very happy to engage directly with our people on any matter connected to their employment. As with any busy workplace, issues arise from time to time. These are always investigated.

‘We abhor, and do not tolerate, any form of discrimination and we work hard to create a safe, supportive, and respectful culture. An independently operated hotline is available to all staff to raise concerns. 

‘Earlier this year we made the very difficult decision to move away from the Real Living Wage. In common with the rest of the hospitality industry, we now pay the National Living Wage.  

‘We did this with a heavy heart, but it was absolutely necessary to keep our bars viable. We hope to be able to return to the Real Living Wage in the future and in the meantime, we continue to offer sector leading benefits.

‘We have also shared £80,000 with our bar crew via our profit share scheme for 2023.’ 

MORE : Over 100 ex-BrewDog staff back letter accusing execs of creating culture of fear

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