BrewDog Affected Workers Platform

On 8 February 2022, Hand & Heart (“H&H”) established The BrewDog Affected Workers’ platform (“BAWP”), in collaboration with Punks With Purpose (opens in a new tab) (“PWP”), a workers advocate group working for positive change. H&H provided the platform for affected BrewDog (“BD”) workers to independently register their employment experiences with BD, in support of PWP’s mission of tackling BD’s alleged cultural issues through positive action, and advocating for affected and/or aggrieved BD (ex)employees around the world. The purpose of the platform was to remove accounts of workplace experiences from social media, to increase safety for those coming forward, to help verify the actual number of claims/allegations against BD, to unify the experiences and decision-making on collective action, and to offer support and legal consideration to cases where possible.

On 8 February 2023, we are publishing The BrewDog Affected Workers Platform Report (“BAWPR”) after having completed the casework, and appropriate handover of applicable cases to relevant third parties. Representing a year of work and investigation, the BAWPR seeks to convert the experiences of workers negatively affected by BD’s workplaces into a meaningful legacy document that can inform learnings and change: not just for craft beer workers, but for all workers.

The report covers a broad range of topics beyond BD and is therefore lengthy. The issues at BD are, it is suggested, happening in an ecosystem of institutional failure, systemically upheld by a power structure of idolatry. This ecosystem reflects broader issues affecting craft beer workplaces and represents the patterns of mistreatment and systemic failings faced by workers in their workplaces worldwide. Just as craft beer has faced a workplace reckoning, workplaces across all industries are in the midst of an avalanche crisis that will result in defining, generationally relevant evolutions of what we know workplaces to be.

Our work with the platform has highlighted the shortcomings and systematic failures of labour law in Scotland, the UK and internationally, leaving many affected workers with no legal protection or recourse. These learnings have informed our positive action petition and campaign, called “Retaliation Legislation Reform” which stands as a positive legacy.

The BAWPR findings indicate the need for stronger statutory protections for workers from acts of employer retaliation. We’ve put together some helpful templates & resources so you can assist in raising awareness about the need for stronger statutory protections for workers facing employer retaliation.

Check it out.

All questions, accessibility requests, concerns, comments & media enquiries:

Use our contact form