Sukhinder Singh Cassidy reaffirms Xero's zero-tolerance stance on sexual harassment
Xero does not tolerate sexual harassment or misconduct in the workplace, according to CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, as she addressed for the first time the allegations against the company's former founder Sir Rod Drury.
"Our expectations of our people make it clear we do not tolerate sexual harassment or misconduct in the workplace, and we have clear policies to handle any such allegations," Singh Cassidy said in a statement quoted by Stuff.
Her statement marks the first time the CEO addressed the allegations against Drury, who has been recently accused of misconduct by two former employees and his former private chef.
Xero confirmed that it investigated the accusations of one of the accusers, who claimed she was never provided with the investigation report or told its outcome.
The accounting software firm has tapped external counsel Maria Dew KC to lead a probe into the accusations and the company's response to the incidents.
Singh Cassidy said she has "deep empathy" for victims of harassment in the workplace.
"Our Board and I also take this extremely seriously," she added.
"This is why we appointed external counsel, Maria Dew KC, to conduct a review of our handling of the 2017 complaint and be available to talk to anyone who would like to share information relevant to the review. It is the seriousness of the allegations that informed our approach to this matter."
According to Singh Cassidy, Xero is committed to learning what to further improve in its processes through the Dew review.
"This is part of our commitment to creating the safest possible environment for our employees going forward," she said as quoted by Stuff.
Accusations against Drury
Drury has since addressed some of the accusations against him, claiming that his relationship with one of the employees was "consensual and mutual," a characterisation the former employee rejected.
However, Drury has yet to address the allegations made by the second employee, who claimed that the Xero founder "grabbed" her and "kissed" her up against the wall, while maintaining that his other relationships were consensual and mutual.
Meanwhile, Drury denied the allegations of his former chef, who accused him of repeatedly greeting her by kissing her on the lips.
He said the chef's claims were "unfounded" and part of a "sustained media campaign."
The controversy surrounding Drury prompted him to return the New Zealander of the Year award, according to previous Stuff reports.
Drury, however, denied any wrongdoing and said he returned the award because he does not want the controversy to "undermine the integrity of the awards."
