The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has recently been rocked by a series of allegations, including sexual harassment and misconduct. In response, the CBI has handed over additional information to the City of London police regarding a report of a serious criminal offence. It is believed that this new allegation is related to a woman who was allegedly raped at a CBI summer party in 2019.
The CBI has suspended three employees while an investigation is conducted by the law firm Fox Williams. The results of this investigation are expected to be released imminently. The CBI has also announced that it will communicate its response to the allegations and its plans to bring about wider change early next week.
In April, the CBI fired its director general Tony Danker following complaints of workplace misconduct against him. Danker admitted to making some staff feel “very uncomfortable” and apologized for it. However, he also claimed that his “reputation has been totally destroyed” due to his name being wrongly associated with separate claims of serious sexual assault that were made before he joined the CBI.
In response, CBI president Brian McBride stated that Danker’s description of events was “selective” and that he was free to seek “redress” if he felt unfairly treated. McBride also claimed that Danker was dismissed on strong legal grounds.
The CBI’s handling of these allegations has been met with widespread criticism from many in the business community. As the investigation into the claims continues, it remains to be seen how the CBI will respond to the outcome and whether it will be able to restore its reputation as a leading business group.