According to a report by The Guardian newspaper, John Allan, the chair of Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer firm, has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards four women. The alleged incidents reportedly took place at various events between 2019 and 2022.
Allegations and Denials
One of the incidents allegedly took place at Tesco’s annual general meeting in June 2022, where Allan allegedly touched the bottom of a senior member of staff. Another incident allegedly occurred in May 2019 during the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) annual dinner, where Allan allegedly touched the bottom of a member of staff.
In addition to these incidents, Allan is also accused of making inappropriate remarks on those occasions as well as separate, similar comments to two other female members of CBI staff in November 2019 and in 2021 respectively.
The Guardian report mentioned that few women were offended by the alleged actions and considered his behaviour to be sexual harassment. However, Allan denied all but one of the allegations.
Tesco’s Response
Tesco stated that it had „received no complaints or concerns formally or informally“ regarding the alleged offences. They also mentioned that John Allan’s conduct has never been the subject of a complaint during his tenure as chair of Tesco. The company requested that anyone with concerns or information to contact a confidential phone line.
About John Allan
Allan was president of the CBI between 2018 and 2020 and then vice-president until October 2021. He has been the chair of Tesco since 2015.
This news comes amidst a global movement against sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace.
