Deloitte Bullying Claims Show Big Four Cultures Resist Change

Accounts of bullying and harassment that sidelined two top managers at Big Four firms in the U.K. have exposed the tensions that persist in their pressure-cooker working environments despite promises to promote equity and work-life balance.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the accounting firms have tried to burnish their reputations as great places to work despite grueling travel and work schedules and intense pressure to add clients and revenue. Challenges combating workplace harassment are not unique to the accounting profession, and the pandemic-driven switch to remote work has only exacerbated the risk of bullying and discrimination for many companies.

But ...