Legal

Fidelity Investments Weighs Zero-Tolerance Policy Amid Harassment Claims

Tom Burroughes Group Editor 23 October 2017

Fidelity Investments Weighs Zero-Tolerance Policy Amid Harassment Claims

The investments group in the US has met to discuss workplace conduct after two employees left amid harassment claims.

Fidelity Investments is reportedly cracking down on workplace misconduct, imposing a so-called "zero tolerance" regime, after a high-profile employee at the fund firm was ousted because of sexual harassment and bullying allegations, the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets have reported. Another portfolio manager has been fired because of sexual misconduct claims.

Family Wealth Report has contacted Fidelity Investments for comment; it hadn’t received a response at the time of going to press and may update in due course.

The WSJ said Fidelity Investments pushed long-standing employee C Robert Chow, 56, to resign earlier in October month, amid allegations that he made inappropriate sexual comments to colleagues. The WSJ cited unnamed sources. 

The news organizatation, also quoting unnamed sources, said a lawyer for Chow declined to comment. Separately, the WSJ and other media outlets reported that the investment firm has hired a consulting firm to review employee behavior, including within the stock-picking or equity division. 

Brian Hogan, president of Fidelity’s stock-picking division, held an emergency meeting on Monday last week with his staff to stress the firm’s “zero tolerance policy” for inappropriate workplace conduct, including sexual harassment.

Chow was a former portfolio manager who worked most recently in an advisory unit at Fidelity.

The WSJ quoted a Fidelity Investments spokesperson as saying that company policies “specifically prohibit harassment in any form. When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them immediately and take prompt and appropriate action. We simply will not, and do not, tolerate this type of behavior.”

In another case in October, Gavin Baker, 41, a manager of technology firms, was fired for allegedly sexually harassing a junior employee. A spokesperson for Baker has reportedly said the man “strenuously” denies any “supposed” allegations of sexual harassment (source: WSJ). 

The issue of workplace misconduct such as sexual harassment has hit the headlines in recent days amid claims that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was a sexual predator, abusing his power in the film industry. A number of high-profile figures such as actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie have complained about his behavior, prompting renewed concerns about the ability of powerful people in such industries to abuse their position. Weinstein has denied accusations against him.  

 

 

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