Dozens of ex-employees sign open letter claiming they were bullied and treated like objects

BrewDog, the fast-expanding craft-beer firm, has apologised to former employees who accused the company and its cofounder James Watt of fostering a culture of fear in which workers were bullied and treated like objects.
In an open letter circulated on Twitter, 61 former workers alleged that the Scottish brewers dizzyingly rapid growth had involved cutting corners on health and safety, espousing values it did not live by, and creating a toxic culture that left staff suffering from mental illness.
Growth, at all costs, has always been perceived as the number one focus for the company, the letter alleges. Being treated like a human being was sadly not always a given for those working at BrewDog.
They sent the letter under the banner Punks with Purpose, a nod to BrewDogs flagship brand, Punk IPA, and the companys self-styled image as a brash upstart taking on faceless corporate brewers.
The Scottish brewer has been a key player in the rapid rise in the popularity of craft beer in the UK, spurred by tax relief on small breweries. It has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2007, helped by the backing of 130,000 equity punks, small shareholders who have helped crowdfund its growth. It now has 100 bars around the world including in Dublin and annual sales of £215 million, or about 250 million, and its beers are stocked in large UK supermarkets.
Its evolution into a commercial force has been marked by a steady stream of controversies but none with the sting of Thursdays staff backlash.
According to an internal staff memo seen by the Guardian, BrewDog initially considered hitting back, by rallying current employees to sign a response letter.