This resource covers three groups:
Workers dismissed on or around 1 March 2026 — the 484 employees made redundant when 38 BrewDog bars closed.
Workers who remain employed within the administration or whose roles have transferred to the purchaser.
People who previously worked for BrewDog, including those who hold shares from their employment or wish to report director misconduct.
On 1 March 2026, 484 BrewDog bar workers were dismissed in a 15-minute Microsoft Teams call. Cameras were off. Microphones were disabled. No questions were taken.
On 2 March 2026, BrewDog PLC and three related companies were placed into administration by their directors through filings with the Court of Session in Edinburgh and the High Court of Justice in London, under paragraph 22 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/45/schedule/B1).
This did not happen overnight. Companies House filings show new securities were being registered over BrewDog's assets in the weeks leading up to the administration. Media reports of a sale process were circulating from late February. The workers were the last to know. We understand from direct reports that the company, with assistance from Alix Partners, have sought to bypass workers rights protections.
Hand & Heart GmbH has been investigating and reporting on corporate governance failures at BrewDog since 2022. Over that period, concerns have been raised — by us and by others — with BrewDog's board, its auditors, its investors, Companies House, HMRC, Action Fraud, Serious Fraud Office, Police Scotland, Kent Police, the Information Commissioner's Office, and the Financial Times, among others. These concerns covered alleged financial irregularities, connected-party transactions, whistleblower retaliation, data protection breaches, and failures of board oversight. The responses from regulatory bodies were, in the main, inadequate. The workers paying the price today deserved better from the company, from its directors, from its advisers, and from the regulators who were warned.
You have been dismissed by a company in administration. That does not mean your rights have disappeared. You are a creditor of the company and the law provides specific protections.
Because BrewDog cannot pay you directly, the government's Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) steps in. Under s.166 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/166), where your employer is insolvent, you may apply to the Secretary of State for the following payments:
Based on your age, length of service, and weekly pay (capped at £719/week). You need at least 2 years' continuous service. Calculated under s.135 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/135).
Up to 8 weeks' arrears (capped at £719/week).
Up to 6 weeks' untaken holiday (capped at £719/week).
1 week per year of service, up to 12 weeks maximum (capped at £719/week).
You need a case reference number from the administrators (AlixPartners). Apply online at: https://www.gov.uk/claim-redundancy
Or call the Redundancy Payments Service on 0330 331 0020.
Full details of your rights when your employer is insolvent are at: https://www.gov.uk/your-rights-if-your-employer-is-insolvent
This is separate from your redundancy entitlements. Under s.189 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/52/section/189), where an employer has failed to collectively consult before making redundancies, the Employment Tribunal can order a protective award of up to 90 days' gross pay per employee.
The obligation to consult is set out in s.188 TULRCA 1992 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/52/section/188). Where 100 or more employees are to be dismissed at one establishment within 90 days, consultation with appropriate representatives must begin at least 45 days before the first dismissal takes effect.
- You do not need to be a Unite member to benefit from a tribunal judgment, but joining the union will ensure you are represented. Join Unite at: https://join.unitetheunion.org or for Scotland specifically: https://scotland.unitetheunion.org.
- You must bring a claim within 3 months of your dismissal date — so by approximately 1 June 2026.
- Early conciliation through ACAS is mandatory before any Employment Tribunal claim. Contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 or start early conciliation online at: https://www.acas.org.uk/early-conciliation
- If a protective award is granted and the company cannot pay, you can claim it through the RPS. Details at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/explaining-your-protective-award
If you had 2 or more years' continuous service, dismissal without any consultation, selection process, or consideration of alternatives may amount to unfair dismissal under s.94 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/94). The same 3-month time limit applies.
You are a preferential creditor. Under paragraph 65(2) of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986, unpaid wages, holiday pay, and certain other employee claims rank ahead of banks, suppliers, and shareholders. File a proof of debt with the administrators to formally register your claim. If you have not received the form, request it from AlixPartners at the email addresses below.
Save everything: your contract of employment, payslips, the Teams call invitation, any emails or messages from BrewDog management or AlixPartners, and any screenshots. These are evidence.
Some BrewDog workers remain employed — either within the administration or because their roles transferred to the purchaser under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/246).
Under regulation 4 of TUPE (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/246/regulation/4), a relevant transfer does not terminate your contract of employment. Instead, your contract has effect after the transfer as if originally made between you and the new employer. This means:
- Your terms and conditions transfer with you. The new employer cannot lawfully change them solely because of the transfer.
- Your continuity of service is preserved. The years you worked for BrewDog count as service with the new employer.
- You cannot be dismissed solely because of the transfer. If you are, it is automatically unfair under regulation 7 of TUPE (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/246/regulation/7).
- You have the right to be informed and consulted about the transfer under regulation 13 of TUPE (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/246/regulation/13). If this did not happen, that is a separate breach.
- The administrators manage the company's affairs and in practice act as your employer.
- Your wages earned after the administration began (from 2 March 2026 onwards) are an expense of the administration under paragraph 99(5) of Schedule B1 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/45/schedule/B1/paragraph/99), meaning they rank very highly for payment.
- You are entitled to be paid for work done during the administration. If the administrators want you to continue working, they must pay you.
- If you are subsequently made redundant, all the protections in Section 1 above apply to you.
- To whom has my role transferred to under TUPE, or do I remain employed by a BrewDog entity in administration?
- Who is my employer now?
- Are my terms and conditions unchanged?
- What is the intended timeline for the administration — will further redundancies follow?
You are entitled to clear answers. If you are not getting them, contact Unite the Union (https://join.unitetheunion.org) or seek independent legal advice.
If you left BrewDog before the administration, your position depends on whether you are owed money or hold evidence relevant to the administration or regulatory inquiries.
If you left BrewDog before the administration and are owed money — unpaid wages, expenses, bonuses, or any other sums from your employment — file a proof of debt with the administrators. Employee claims are preferential.
In an insolvency, shareholders are last in the queue. Under s.107 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/45/section/107), the payment hierarchy is:
- Fixed charge holders (secured lenders such as HSBC)
- Costs of the administration (AlixPartners' fees and expenses)
- Preferential creditors (employees' unpaid wages and holiday pay)
- Floating charge holders (lenders with general security)
- Unsecured creditors (suppliers, HMRC, bondholders)
- Shareholders
BrewDog's debts significantly exceed the value realised by the sale.
In 2022, BrewDog announced an Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) and an expanded profit share scheme for staff. These announcements were made concurrently with negative media coverage and were presented as a commitment to sharing value with workers.
What followed was different from what was promised. Employees reported receiving very little under the profit share scheme, and it was subsequently scrapped. The Real Living Wage commitment — a longstanding BrewDog pledge — was also withdrawn.
The EBT itself raises serious questions. BrewDog Employee Benefit Trust Limited (SC737634) was incorporated on 7 June 2022. Companies House filings show:
- The company has negative net assets of -£562,000 as at 31 December 2024
- It recorded a pre-tax loss of £373,000 in 2024, following a loss of £915,000 in 2023
- Its sole shareholder is BrewDog PLC, which holds 100% of ordinary shares and exercises above 75% control of voting rights, the right to appoint and remove directors, and ownership of shares
- Its directors have included BrewDog's own officers, including the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer
- It was subject to compulsory strike-off proceedings twice (June 2024 and October 2024), both subsequently cancelled
Hand & Heart GmbH has raised formal questions — directed to the BrewDog board, its auditors, and TSG Consumer Partners — about whether this EBT structure meets HMRC's independence requirements for a genuine employee benefit trust. An EBT that is wholly owned and controlled by the parent company, staffed by parent company officers, and operating at a consistent loss raises legitimate questions about whether it was ever capable of delivering the benefits promised to workers. No substantive answers have been received.
If you were told your employment included participation in the EBT or profit share scheme, you should consider:
- Whether you received any formal documentation setting out the terms of your entitlement
- Whether the benefits described to you matched what was actually delivered
- Whether representations made to you about the value or security of these schemes could amount to misrepresentation — particularly if the promises influenced your decision to remain with the company
- Reporting your experience to the Insolvency Service at intelligence.live@insolvency.gov.uk, as the structure of the EBT and the representations made to employees may be relevant to the administrators' report on director conduct under s.7A of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/46/section/7A)
Some former employees hold shares acquired during their employment — through Equity for Punks rounds promoted internally or through other share schemes. Others were promised equity participation that never materialised, or found themselves unable to benefit from share schemes due to the circumstances of their departure.
If you left BrewDog because of workplace conditions — bullying, unsafe working environments, retaliation for raising concerns, or constructive dismissal — and your departure meant you could not vest or benefit from shares or options you had been promised, this is relevant.
Hand & Heart's investigation has documented a pattern over several years in which:
- Workers who raised health and safety concerns, or criticised company practices, faced retaliation including formal warnings, social media monitoring, and instructions to other staff not to interact with them
- Former employees who became vocal critics were subjected to surveillance, smear campaigns, and in some cases the use of private investigators
- Whistleblowers who raised concerns about governance, financial irregularities, or workplace culture were branded as conspirators rather than having their concerns addressed
- The board was repeatedly notified of these issues by multiple parties over several years and failed to act substantively
If any of the above applies to you, you may wish to consider:
- Protected disclosure (whistleblowing) claims under Part IVA of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/part/IVA) — if you suffered detriment or were dismissed for making a protected disclosure about legal breaches, health and safety failures, or financial irregularities. Time limits vary and can be complex; take legal advice.
- Constructive unfair dismissal — if you resigned because the company's conduct made your position untenable, and your resignation meant you lost the ability to vest shares or participate in equity schemes. Under s.95(1)(c) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/95), resignation in response to a fundamental breach of contract by the employer is treated as a dismissal. Note that strict time limits apply and many of these claims will be historic — seek advice on whether your claim is still viable.
- Reporting director misconduct to the Insolvency Service at intelligence.live@insolvency.gov.uk — directors owe duties under ss.171–177 of the Companies Act 2006 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/part/10/chapter/2), including the duty to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole (s.172), with specific regard to the interests of employees. If directors' conduct drove out workers who held or were promised equity, that is directly relevant to whether those duties were met.
- Attending creditors' meetings and challenging the administrators — under paragraph 74 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/45/schedule/B1/paragraph/74), any member of the company may apply to the court if they believe the administrators are acting in a way that unfairly harms their interests.
If you raised concerns during your employment — about health and safety, financial irregularities, legal breaches, or any other protected matter — and suffered detriment as a result (dismissal, demotion, disciplinary action), you may have a whistleblower claim under the whistleblower protections in Part IVA of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/part/IVA), as inserted by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/23). Protected disclosures include reports of criminal offences, breach of legal obligations, health and safety dangers, and concealment of any of these. The time limits for these claims can be complex — take legal advice.
If you hold evidence of director misconduct — mismanagement, self-dealing, connected-party transactions, or breaches of the general duties of directors under ss.171–177 of the Companies Act 2006 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/part/10/chapter/2) — you can report this to the Insolvency Service at insolvency.enquiryline@insolvency.gov.uk / https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-a-complaint-to-the-insolvency-service.
The administrators are required to file a report on the directors' conduct under s.7A of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/46/section/7A). Your evidence may be directly relevant.
BrewDog PLC (SC311560), BrewDog Retail Limited (SC389114), and BrewDog International Limited (SC580048) are all Scottish-registered companies. Their administrations are being conducted through the Court of Session in Edinburgh under the Insolvency (Scotland) (Company Voluntary Arrangements and Administration) Rules 2018 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2018/347/contents).
Draft House Holding Limited (06947531) is an English-registered company. Its administration is through the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts in London under the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/1024/contents).
Employment Tribunal claims in Scotland are heard by the Employment Tribunal sitting in Scotland (https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/employment-tribunal). The substantive law (TULRCA 1992, Employment Rights Act 1996, TUPE 2006) applies uniformly across Great Britain, but procedural rules and court processes differ between Scottish and English jurisdictions.
Every legal citation and external source used in "Brewdog Workers Rights" is listed below. All legislation links point to legislation.gov.uk, the official UK statute database. All government guidance links point to GOV.UK. Readers are encouraged to verify every claim independently.
Hand & Heart GmbH is an independent investigative and media organisation. We have been investigating corporate governance at BrewDog since 2022, working over 100 workers cases prop bono and advocating for regulatory and police intervention since 2023. This page is a public information resource. It does not constitute legal advice. We are not lawyers because we have to draw a line of morality somewhere*. If you require advice specific to your circumstances, please consult Citizen's Advice, a qualified solicitor or contact Unite the Union at https://join.unitetheunion.org.
*we love our lawyers though.
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