Foxtons, a London-based estate agent, has encouraged staff to speak out amid claims that junior employees have been subjected to sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.
Bloomberg conducted an investigative report on employees who have complained of being groped by directors or receiving suggestive messages from them. They also reported racist remarks and drunken driving.
A female employee who was 21 years old at the time told Bloomberg that her manager would make comments about her body, and then say he wished to have sex.
The man then started to kiss and grope the employee in the office, and sent explicit messages asking for pictures in return.
The same employee complained about being slapped in the bottom while walking past another co-worker in the pub, with drinks in both hands.
The HR representative challenged her story and said that the man had a good reputation. She said that HR refused to address her complaint until she had filed a police report.
Bloomberg spoke to 11 former and current Foxtons employees who told stories about unwanted physical contact, requests of sex, or offensive remarks between 2021 and 2024.
The company interviewed over 20 employees, including former and current ones. They also viewed employment records, legal documents, and screenshots.
A woman reported that her weight was discussed during a WhatsApp chat at work, and she was told to create an OnlyFans profile.
Eight women reported that they complained to their manager, or HR, about the behavior but were told it was not exceptional. Eight of the eight women reported that they complained to their manager or HR, but were told that the behaviour was not exceptional.
Some people feared that if they reported inappropriate conduct, their sales pipeline would be shut down.
Thirteen respondents said that they heard Foxtons employees use racist or antisemitic words, and sixteen said that drunk driving was a common occurrence.
A former senior employee of the company claimed that he complained to Guy Gittins directly about the culture. Gittins, however, told him he couldn’t be personally involved. The HR department was contacted and the concerns were discussed. However, no further action was taken.
Bloomberg reported that this employee was fired for poor performance after receiving very few leads in the following year. Foxtons later paid him a settlement after he filed a claim with the tribunal for unfair dismissal.
Bloomberg reported that some staff members said Foxtons’ culture of heavy drinking contributed to an environment in which such incidents were ignored.
The company has recently banned alcohol from its Friday meetings, and required employees to take a course on sexual harassment before the Christmas party. However, it admits that there is more they could do.
A spokesperson for the company said in a statement: “We’re concerned that Bloomberg colleagues have reported offensive behavior and urge them report it to an independent, confidential whistleblowing procedure.
Foxtons takes sexual harassment and misconduct very seriously. We thoroughly investigate all cases, and we do not tolerate it. We do not recognise claims that colleagues escalate issues without being taken seriously.
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