You’ll recall the backlash that Brewdog faced following 70 plus staff members signing an open letter to the company, criticising the business and its employment practices.
The PR disaster unfolded in June of this year, but it’s only now that James Watt, co-founder of Brewdog, has spoken out on the issues faced by the Ellon headquartered business.
Yes he publicly apologised at the time, but many questioned whether this would be enough to save his – and the brand’s – reputation, with accusations of bullying, a culture of fear and a toxic workplace amongst others.
Last week, James spoke to Good Morning Scotland to address the changes they’ve put in place since the allegations came to light and, perhaps wisely, he put his hands up and admitted to mistakes on his part.
He acknowledged that Brewdog has not always been the best employer, nor has he been the best people manager, and I have to say I think it’s at least commendable that he admits his part in the issue.
I’m not making excuses for him as I can see how his previous, and some current, employees have been negatively affected, but it can be hard to consistently get things right within a leadership position.
Brewdog’s meteoric rise to become one of the most well-known Scottish breweries came around rather quickly, possibly forcing him into a role he wasn’t equipped to deal with so soon.
However, the company has hired former Asda chief executive, Allan Leighton, to step in as a non-executive chairman and mentor, so that they can learn from past mistakes and ensure it never happens again.
The brand has also promised a three per cent salary increase for all employees, along with a structural review of areas in the business that are believed to be under resourced.
I hope that these changes show current employees that there will be positive change.
This is just one example of how people management is so important to a company. As an entrepreneur I know that people are the heart of any business. If your employees don’t feel valued and they are not treated respectfully then it will ultimately result in complaints, people leaving and, if problems continue to go unanswered, it can result in a media storm.
Similarly, when I was reading the accusations around Tom Kitchin and his restaurant business, I was gobsmacked that this type of workplace still exists. No matter what industry you are working in, it is unacceptable for bullying or harassment to take place – whether it’s from bosses or other colleagues.
The wider issue with the Tom Kitchin allegations is that the complaints were not just about the main man himself, but about his leadership team. It appears that behaviour in the workplace has been passed down through the ranks, and some of his staff have also been accused of questionable conduct.
Following these accusations, others from within the hospitality sector have come out to admit that they too have suffered at the hands of former bosses of various restaurants, both physically and mentally.
Right now, when the sector is in desperate need of a recruitment boost, allegations of this nature are certainly damaging to the reputation of the industry in general.
With so many brilliant opportunities available across Scotland in hospitality and customer-facing jobs, many people will be put off after reading those headlines. It’s a real shame as I know just how excellent and rewarding a career in hospitality can be.
What it highlights for me is the power of a team – coming together to stand up for something – and the importance of good people management.
This should be a warning to other businesses. They should be looking at their structure and leadership teams and contemplating if they need to make amends, before the next media storm is about them.
Everyone deserves to have a positive workplace, and employees should be determined to work hard and put in the dedication and time, however we should also strive to create a work life balance which allows us to enjoy our work, feel valued and supported, whilst also maintaining a social balance.
This is what brands should be aiming for, especially following the pandemic. The time is now to create working practices to ensure that employees are fully motivated and have great morale.
Scotland’s universities take the lead
Most students have now returned to campuses across Scotland with the hope that this year will feel closer to normal, with in-person teaching back in place in most settings and drinks flowing once again at the union bar.
It will be a special first term for students at The University of St Andrews, which has clinched the top spot in The Times and Sunday Times University Guide. It has beaten the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, something no university has achieved in the near 30-year history of the guide. The Fife institution ranked highly in student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic research.
This year’s result table was also good news for The University of Glasgow, which has been named the Scottish University of the Year and is placed 12th in the UK-wide league table – its highest ever ranking. The 570-year-old university is also in the midst of a £1bn campus investment plan, set for completion next year.
The University of Strathclyde placed 17th in the UK-wide rankings, another strong result. However, the Scottish learning institution had another reason to celebrate recently, after receiving a £50m donation from a former PhD student.
The colossal sum of cash was gifted by Charles Huang through his philanthropic foundation and is the largest bequest ever received by the university. The generous gift will help fund a new building as well as the creation of an institute named after Dr Huang’s supervisor, Prof Stephen Young.
Dr Huang heads up Innova Medical Group, which developed the rapid lateral flow tests used in Covid-19 testing. He said the university played a ‘critical role’ in his career and business success.
It’s great to see such generosity and funding going back into places of learning for the next generation of business leaders to thrive.
It Made Me Laugh
I was delighted to read that a Scottish entrepreneur, Michael Harkins, has landed a deal with a global children’s television channel to launch a new version of his swimming aid across the UK and US.
The swimming teacher turned to inventing his own teaching aids when he couldn’t find the right equipment to help youngsters learning how to swim. This led him to developing the Turtle Pack.
Now he has joined forces with entertainment brand Nickelodeon and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to bring the product to market.
Kids get the chance to dress up as their favorite ninja turtle cartoon character, as if the weans needed any more reason to dress up, while learning how to swim.
It’s sure to make a splash – cowabunga!
It Made Me Weep
The big news last week was the energy crisis facing the UK, which is in part, thanks to the global shortage of carbon dioxide.
Energy prices are set to spike and multiple smaller energy providers are on the brink of collapse, whilst the implications of this gas shortage are far reaching across multiple industries, including farming.
Livestock farmers are warning that they are only a few weeks away from having to cull animals due to the gas shortage at abattoirs, with CO₂ used to stun animals prior to slaughter.
On-farm killing means the meat is not able to enter the food supply chain. This will be devastating news for farmers. A backlog of over 100,000 pigs now face ending up in landfill rather than dinner plates.
Who is going to save these farmers’ bacon?
