Brewdog to launch review in wake of ‘toxic’ culture claims

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Craft beer firm Brewdog has announced it will undergo an independent review of the beer firm after former staff had accused the company of fostering toxic employment practices. Company co-founder James Watt said the firm would also conduct an anonymous staff survey to “paint a comprehensive picture of the Brewdog culture at every level”. Writing on LinkedIn, Watt apologised to staff for the “pain” that had been caused and added: “I am ultimately responsible for the culture. The letter that ex-colleagues wrote to us is 100% my fault.” The letter from ex-workers posted on Twitter earlier in the week said there was a culture of fear at the company, that safety was a concern, staff were afraid to speak out, and that its leaders were hypocrites who sought publicity through outlandish claims. The “responsibility for this rotten culture” lay with BrewDog co-founder James Watt, the letter stated, saying “in the wake of your success are people left burnt out, afraid and miserable”. One employee who signed the letter told Sky News: “I was on £19,000, doing 60-hour weeks, and being berated by the boss. “There was no such thing as a small, you know, a small forgivable mistake.” Watt told the broadcaster: “We've always had a high performance culture, and I've always been perhaps too demanding. “As a people manager, I'm very foc