Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general Tony Danker has stepped aside as the trade body investigates claims of workplace misconduct.
The CBI - which speaks for more than 190,000 UK businesses - said it was made aware of an allegation regarding Danker’s conduct in January.
This, it said, “was investigated thoroughly and was dealt with comprehensively”, with the CBI ultimately determining that disciplinary action was not required.
However, it then said it was made aware of new reports about Danker on 2 March, when the Guardian said it contacted the CBI about additional allegations.
The CBI said that it launched an investigation into these recent claims, and that Danker will step aside while it is ongoing.
“We have now taken steps to initiate an independent investigation into these new matters,” it said. “Tony Danker asked to step aside from his role as director-general of the CBI while the independent investigation into these matters takes place.”
“The CBI takes all matters of workplace conduct extremely seriously but it is important to stress that until this investigation is complete, any new allegations remain unproven and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” it added.
Danker said that any offence caused in the incident in question was “unintentional”.
“It’s been mortifying to hear that I have caused offence or anxiety to any colleague,” he said. “It was completely unintentional, and I apologise profusely.
“The CBI is the employers’ organisation, and I am very proud to be its leader. We always strive for the highest standards. I therefore support the decision we’ve taken to review any new allegations independently.”
