Shareholders sue Alphabet board over allegations it was complicit in covering up sexual misconduct claims January 11, 2019 Shareholders have filed lawsuits against Google parent company Alphabet over allegations that the company covered up claims of sexual misconduct against top executives. In two lawsuits filed this week, investors claimed that Alphabet's board failed in its duties by not tackling harassment within the company, approving large payouts and acting to conceal allegations, according to Reuters. [...]
Scottish government acted unlawfully in Alex Salmond sexual harassment claims, court rules January 8, 2019 A court has ruled that the Scottish government acted unlawfully when it investigated sexual harassment claims against former first minister Alex Salmond. Salmond denies the allegations, which date back to 2013 when he was first minister. They were made to the Scottish government a year ago. At the court of session in Edinburgh, Scotland's supreme [...]
City watchdog plans to overhaul treatment of whistleblowers in 2019 December 31, 2018 The City watchdog is planning an overhaul of its approach to whistleblowers in the new year, in order to encourage more people to feel safe in coming forward. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that it would announce details of the plan, first reported by the Financial Times, later in 2019. It will revisit how it maintains [...]
Labour MP Ivan Lewis resigns from party over antisemitism concerns December 20, 2018 An MP has resigned from the Labour Party citing the party's failure to tackle antisemitism within its ranks. Ivan Lewis, who was suspended from the party a year ago over sexual harassment allegations, accused Corbyn of being unwilling to allow Jewish people the right of “self-determination in their own state.” The MP for Bury South [...]
Have you got a Scrooge loose at work? December 18, 2018 Festive cheer may be in short supply in the UK’s workplaces this Christmas – and it’s got nothing to do with Brexit, rail fare rises, or miserly pay increases. Instead, it’s the fact that a growing number of employers have cancelled the annual staff party. At one firm, an employee reports receiving an email out [...]
EY and PwC reveal that both dismissed five partners over inappropriate behaviour December 11, 2018 The final two Big Four financial services firms have disclosed the number of partners that have left the companies following allegations of inappropriate behaviour. PwC fired five partners for inappropriate behaviour including harassment or bullying over the last three years. EY revealed that five partners had left the company over a four year period, becoming [...]
Seven KPMG partners left the firm over inappropriate behaviour including bullying and sexual harassment within four-year period December 10, 2018 A total of seven KPMG partners have left the financial services firm over the last four years following accusations of inappropriate behaviour, including sexual harassment and bullying. The revelation comes after it was reported that fellow ‘Big Four’ firm Deloitte fired 20 partners for similar behaviour over the same period and as workplace culture faces [...]
Editor’s Notes: The Bank of England must protect its independence December 7, 2018 Former chair of the US Federal Reserve Janet Yellen once said “the principle that a central bank should be independent from the government is unassailable.” Donald Trump probably thinks unassailable means you can’t sell it, but even if he understood Yellan’s point he seems determined to ignore it. His broadsides against Fed policy are quite [...]
Ted Baker’s share price slides further in wake of ‘forced hugging’ complaints December 4, 2018 Ted Baker's share price slumped more than 10 per cent in trading this morning as the City continued to digest the news of harassment allegations surrounding the luxury retail firm’s boss. Shares dipped almost 11 per cent to 1,387p today, having dived 15 per cent yesterday. Yesterday the FTSE 250 firm’s board said it had launched [...]
DEBATE: Are we at risk of overreacting to the story of ‘forced hugging’ at Ted Baker? December 4, 2018 Are we at risk of overreacting to the story of ‘forced hugging’ at Ted Baker? Dr Joanna Williams, author of Women vs Feminism: Why We All Need Liberating from the Gender Wars, says YES. Alarming stories of sleazy bosses taking advantage of vulnerable young women can make it seem as if the workplace hasn’t changed since the 1960s. [...]