In June 2021, 61 former BrewDog staff accused the company and its co-founder James Watt of fostering a 'culture of fear', where workers were 'treated like objects'.

In an open letter, workers alleged the company had cut corners on health and safety, and created a 'toxic' culture that led to workers suffering from mental illness.

An internal memo showed the company initially considered responding by getting current employees to sign a response letter claiming comments by ex-staff were 'demeaning' and posed 'a threat to our lives".

However, BrewDog instead released a statement apologising and acknowledging some of its failings.

In January 2022, the boss of Brewdog was accused of trying to intimidate ex-staff who gave evidence for a BBC documentary highlighting the company's workplace culture. In a forum, James Watt warned staff that their anonymity 'can never be guaranteed', and that a court could order the BBC to name staff involved in the documentary.

Company comments can be found below.