FDIC workplace was toxic with harassment and bullying, report claims, citing 500 employee accounts
CBSN
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., a government agency that protects bank customers from losing their deposits, fostered a toxic workplace rife with harassment and bullying that mostly targeted women or people from underrepresented groups, according to a new report.
The findings about the FDIC's workplace culture comes after the Wall Street Journal published a November investigation that alleged male employees at the agency engaged in harassment, such as sending lewd photos to female employees, yet still kept their jobs.
The 234-page report, released Tuesday by law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, is based on accounts from more than 500 employees who reported misconduct they encountered at the agency. Their accounts describe a workplace that is "patriarchal, insular and risk-averse" and failed to effectively deal with harassment, with the findings noting that disciplinary actions were rare after workers lodged complaints.