'They made us feel we were at the bottom of the barrel. The very bottom layer of society'
'They made us feel we were at the bottom of the barrel. The very bottom layer of society'
At an unnamed pub, staff claim they are being bullied in an unsafe environment. The unnamed company alleged to be responsible denied all allegations when asked to comment through a third party
This article took a lot of resources to put together and is the result of 20+ interviews, numerous edits and investigative work. Please donate as much as you can to my Ko-Fi here to support it! If you’ve not done so already please buy Desi Pubs - A guide to British-Indian Pubs, Food & Culture here - hailed as “the most important volume on pubs in 50 years”.
Disclaimer: this newsletter often mentions beer and pubs. You do not have to read this if your life has been affected by substance abuse.
I am a journalist who covers race issues for BBC Culture, Pellicle and Vittles. I was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2023.
For legal reasons I can’t reveal the name of the pub this article is about. As mentioned above every detail is denied by the unnamed company when asked for comment through a third party.
I would like to thank those who helped with this article.
After speaking to numerous sources grafting behind the bar, in the cellar and collecting glasses in an unnamed pub I realised I wanted to share this heart-breaking story with you despite how challenging that might be.
“I feel there’s a culture of protecting management,” one source told me, “despite concerns of [our] well-being. I was once sent home because it ‘seemed like I was the least happy to be there’. I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling them about any mental health issues despite their messaging.”
Others claim that they couldn’t take toilet breaks without being followed by managers - “I felt expendable,” one source said. “If we stopped working for 10 seconds then a manager would come over and say ‘what are you doing?’
“They would give us shit for not working. But I was working and they just reprimanded me for appearing to not be working.”
You may think they should find a supportive employer but many of the people I spoke to say they were drawn to the unnamed pub by the glamour it offered, the perks, a youthful working environment and its positive corporate messaging.
Why didn’t they walk away? Well, this pub - at one time - paid its staff competitively and the workers felt solidarity with each other so they decided to stay, fight and change the conditions for all.
However, they feel their resolve is constantly being tested especially when they are expected to serve at functions where workers from arms-maker BAE Systems and defence firm Thales were guests. Both firms have alleged connections to Israel which sources felt compromised their values and claim was at odds at with the pub’s DEI messaging.
Alleged alcohol issues
Numerous sources I have spoken to at the unnamed pub feel that profits are prioritised over staff and customer safety, with the capacity of the unnamed venue allegedly not being monitored, especially at busy times, such as Christmas, and when World Cup football matches are screened.
Customers also reported that there were no staff monitoring the door but since the company was asked for comment a door team has been employed with clickers to monitor numbers.
Staff also claim they were told they had to serve intoxicated customers and ply them with beer offers.
“Management said,” says one source, “that it was 11pm and we’ve got 30 minutes to get £1,000 out of people. ‘I want you to sell beer towers!’ But these people were too drunk to drink a beer tower that late at night.”
The source also claimed they were reprimanded by a manager when they called the police over unruly behaviour on a Friday night - the police confirmed that a drunken woman was ejected in this incident and an FOI request says they have attended the unnamed pub three times.
Others have claimed children are regularly put at danger when they’re in the presence of drunk adults and have had to use first aid treatment on kids who have been injured by broken glass. The sources felt there weren't any systems to manage the situation.
A source also claimed children have cut their feet on broken glass and one minor injured themselves when they fell and banged their head on the edge of a table. The source claims to have reported the first incident to management but failed to see the point of reporting future incidents.
Sources report that they have implored managers to enact a curfew for families with children - say ‘no children after 9pm’ - but claim they were told that because they serve food they can legally treat the venue ‘like a restaurant’.
More allegations
Staff say they felt intimidated by management with several reports of workers being shouted at in front of customers, told off for taking breaks and humiliated by a laddish culture.
One source claimed that they worked with a manager who boasted about employing a homeless man to clear glasses in exchange for inedible food and say they reported this manager to the management at the time.
“The manager bragged to me about it,” they said. “I had to walk away. It made me feel physically sick.”
The toxicity allegedly also extends to accusations of misogyny, racism and ableism. One source alleges that she was told she was turned down for a promotion because it was “a man’s job” and she also says that workplace adjustments for her disability were removed leading her to go on sick leave.
Another source claimed workplace romances were common with women being disciplined for having them, while their male colleagues’ behaviour was ignored. Others felt they were marginalised and claimed they were not offered the same perks, such as free drinks, as some of their peers because they weren’t part of an alleged clique favoured by managers.
One source, who is black, claimed they were called a thief by a manager for taking a company T-shirt to use on his shift, while another person of colour alleged that management ignored racist taunts by a customer and instead ordered the staff member to serve him.
Others have spoken of how they fear expressing mental health concerns with one source feeling bullied and then incredibly angered by seeing the pub company’s corporate branding and slogans on T-shirts seemingly at odds with their plight.
Cellar reports
Sources at the unnamed pub claim that training is often minimal and new hires are slated to work in busy periods so they have to learn on the job. Since comment was sought, sources say, the training offered has been improved.
“Ice was kept in the cellar in bags, not a freezer,” says one worker at the site. “They’d be pools of water on the floor.” Another member of staff added: “They have large bookings so the staff would [be told] to put them in there - the floor would be wet and it’s never prioritised to clear it up.”
Since the company was asked for comment sources say the cellar has been kept in a better condition.
The reaction
Bryan Simpson, lead organiser at Unite Hospitality, said: “The way in which our members have been treated isn't just morally reprehensible, it may be unlawful - in serious breach of employment and health and safety legislation.
“It likes to brand themselves as a good employer but they are one of the worst we have ever dealt with, in a sector which is not exactly known for great conditions.
“We will be working with our members to collectively challenge these conditions.”
David Martyn, head of employment law at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “An employer has to take steps to stop discrimination taking place in the workplace,” he said. “If there are repeated instances of the same behaviour and there is no managerial training - which is trying to direct behaviours in the opposite direction - then this is likely a breach of the employer’s obligation to take those reasonable steps.”
An industry source said: “Staff being overridden by management and forced to serve alcohol to an intoxicated person is, quite simply, illegal under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2023; combined with the allegations that ice is being kept at unsafe temperatures, which could lead to E. coli, salmonella or shigella.”
Another industry source said: “One of the most obvious danger points is a slippery cellar floor; it exacerbates every other risk you have. You can avoid stacking barrels by good cellar management.
“You have to have door staff to monitor fire safety. Every publican should know their capacity and should take a judgement when it gets a bit hairy.”
Finally…
One worker summed up his life: “I feel they’ve entrenched a culture of fear in us so we won’t complain about anything. I’m good at my job - I shouldn’t have a manager stalking me when I walk around the building.”