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| CBI hired 'toxic' staff and failed to sack offenders | CBI hired 'toxic' staff and failed to sack offenders |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The UK's biggest business group has admitted it hired "culturally toxic" staff and failed to fire people who sexually harassed female colleagues. | The UK's biggest business group has admitted it hired "culturally toxic" staff and failed to fire people who sexually harassed female colleagues. |
| The CBI said a failure to act allowed a "very small minority" of staff to believe they could get away with harassment or violence against women. | The CBI said a failure to act allowed a "very small minority" of staff to believe they could get away with harassment or violence against women. |
| The embattled group was responding to an independent report by a law firm after two rape allegations at the CBI. | The embattled group was responding to an independent report by a law firm after two rape allegations at the CBI. |
| It said it "made mistakes" "that led to terrible consequences". | It said it "made mistakes" "that led to terrible consequences". |
| The future of the CBI is hanging in the balance. | The future of the CBI is hanging in the balance. |
| In early April, a number of claims of misconduct and harassment against CBI staff emerged including one allegation of rape at the lobby group's summer party in 2019. | In early April, a number of claims of misconduct and harassment against CBI staff emerged including one allegation of rape at the lobby group's summer party in 2019. |
| The City of London Police began an investigation and the CBI asked the law firm Fox Williams to look into the claims. | |
| While the government decided to pause any activity with the lobby group, most companies decided to wait until the investigations had concluded. | |
| But last week, a second rape allegation prompted an avalanche of firms to cancel their membership or suspend activity with the lobby giant which claims to represent 190,000 firms. | |
| The CBI subsequently announced it would suspend its operations until June while it decided on its future. | The CBI subsequently announced it would suspend its operations until June while it decided on its future. |
| In a letter responding to recommendations by Fox Williams, the CBI admitted to its members: | |
| It "tried to find resolution in sexual harassment cases when we should have removed those offenders from our business" | It "tried to find resolution in sexual harassment cases when we should have removed those offenders from our business" |
| A failure to sack offenders led to a reluctance among women to formalise complaints | |
| This allowed a "very small minority of staff with regressive - and, in some cases, abhorrent - attitudes towards their female colleagues to feel more assured in their behaviour, and more confident of not being detected" | |
| It failed to filter out culturally toxic people during the hiring process | It failed to filter out culturally toxic people during the hiring process |
| Promoted some mangers too quickly "without the necessary prior and ongoing training to protect our cultural values, and to properly react when those values were violated" | Promoted some mangers too quickly "without the necessary prior and ongoing training to protect our cultural values, and to properly react when those values were violated" |
| Paid "more attention to competence than to behaviour" | Paid "more attention to competence than to behaviour" |
| Failed to properly integrate new staff | |
| Brian McBride, president of the CBI, said he wanted to give members a reasons to consider trusting the lobby group again. | |
| But said: "Whether that is possible, I simply don't know." | |
| On Monday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said there was "no point" engaging with the CBI when its own members had deserted them. | |
| "We want to engage with a body that speaks or business. It is incredibly important for me when I'm constructing budgets to have someone that I can turn to who speaks for British business." | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| CBI | CBI |