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The World Economic Forum, organized by the Elite Business Conference in Davos, Switzerland, said an investigation could not corroborate discrimination and harassment claims in the workplace raised by employees, but that the organization had not complied with the “established standards.”
External lawyers hired by the World Economic Forum “He did not find that the forum has committed any legal violation” and “did not corroborate” the accusations of misconduct against the founder Klaus Schwab, according to a summary of the investigation sent to some of the greatest sponsors of the Wef on Thursday.
But the message sent by email, sent by Schwab’s successor as executive director of Wef, Børge Brende, said that a Board Committee that supervises the investigation had identified “leadership and management problems.” . . that do not meet our established standards “and promised to strengthen” our commitment to a workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. “
The Wef promised to introduce additional training for managers and mental health resources for staff.
Schwab He defended himself Last year, after more than half a century at the head of the organization, having converted its annual meeting into Davos at the preeminent conference for business leaders and global policy formulators.
Shortly after his resignation, the Wall Street Journal published accusations of discrimination and harassment made by several black and female employees against Schwab and other managers. An employee defendant The Wef in a New York Court alleges that professional opportunities were denied due to its race and gender.
The organization and Schwab denied all the statements, and the Wef resolved the demand of New York in terms not revealed earlier this month, according to judicial records.
A Wef spokesman refused to say what leadership problems had been identified by the Board’s investigation, or to expand Brende’s email to Davos sponsors.
In his message, Brende said that Wef was “reviewing and improving” its code of conduct and would expand mental health resources for employees. There would also be “culture in the workplace and training for all forum employees,” he said, and the organization would add training for managers and other leaders.
The review was carried out by the Covington and Burling law firm of the United States and Switzerland.