Emma McIntyre
Shares in Ted Baker have plummeted after the British fashion chain said it would investigate harassment claims against founder and chief executive Ray Kelvin. An online petition claiming to be backed by more than 200 current or former employees alleges that the company’s CEO regularly “tries to massage people around the office, insists on long hugs with staff members, touches them inappropriately and openly asks his staff for sex.” Complaints against Kelvin range from invitations to star in porn movies with him to kissing the back of employees’ ears, according to the document. “The owner regularly makes sexual innuendos at staff, he stroke people’s necks, he took off his shirt on one occasion and talked about his sex life,” the petition states. “So many people have left the business due to harassment, whether that be verbal, physical or sexual.” The shares were down more than 12% on Monday after the allegations, which the company said were “entirely at odds” with the values of the business.