KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After harassment allegations by former female employees, Boulevard Brewing Company announced its next steps Wednesday to ensure "a safe, healthy, and fulfilling work environment for all."
A former female employee posted a thread on Reddit in January, which detailed what she described as "a sexist work environment that takes advantage of its employees.”
The woman also said she experienced harassment when she was pregnant, while other female employees had received unwanted advances from a former male employee.
Boulevard hired an independent firm to conduct an investigation into the allegations, which also prompted a shakeup among the company's executive leadership.
The investigation, which was conducted by FineLine HR Consulting, concluded last week.
Boulevard shared some finding from the FineLine report with employees and on its website:
- Harassment and bad behaviors did occur;
- Employees weren’t always treated professionally and courteously;
- Hiring policies and practices need to be more formalized to ensure Boulevard properly considers all qualified candidates for open positions;
- Duvel Moortgat Brewery, Flemish parent company, needs to do a better job bringing the two sister breweries, Boulevard, and Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York, together to work more collaboratively.
Boulevard vowed to make several changes to improve the work environment based on recommendations from the report and its findings.
Those changes include a new leadership structure, which involves more collaboration between Boulevard and Brewery Ommegang.
The company will also hire a new human resources director with the help of an outside consultant.
Employees also will undergo training that establishes "clear definitions of what is and is not proper conduct," while Boulevard plans to implement new standards for conducting business in order to re-establish the company culture.
Boulevard announced that it parted ways with three other employees after the report was completed.
