A claim against Ian McConnell/Banded Brewing Co. was filed on 8.19.2024 with the Maine Human Rights Commission. This claim is currently in review.
We come together as former employees of Banded Brewing Co. (formerly known as Banded Horn Brewing Co.) to share our experience working for the Founder, Ian McConnell. Since the company’s establishment in 2013, we were employed at various times throughout its operational history. During our tenure, we consistently observed that Ian McConnell prioritized his personal interests over the safety and well-being of his employees. This troubling pattern persisted over several years.
According to the Maine Department of Labor, employees of businesses in Maine are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. This includes adherence to health and safety regulations as stipulated by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and a work environment free from sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, and sexual orientation. We believe that Banded Brewing Co. has violated these rights due to poor leadership under Ian McConnell, and in some cases, this mistreatment was perpetrated directly by him. Any attempts to address these concerns with Ian were met with resistance and, in several cases, retaliation.
The company’s professed ethos, “band together,” was initially attractive to those seeking a sense of belonging and acceptance. Ian McConnell encouraged a work culture resembling a group of friends rather than professional colleagues. This blurred the lines of professionalism and often led to inappropriate behavior.
The work culture he created lacked proper channels for addressing grievances or misconduct, as any concerns, ultimately, had to be raised with Ian himself. Furthermore, departmental managers were not given the autonomy to establish codes of conduct, manage budgets, create standard operating procedures (SOPs), or provide feedback without Ian’s direct involvement or support. He regularly undermined the efforts of his managers This lack of managerial autonomy led to an unstable management structure and left underrepresented groups particularly vulnerable.
Despite projecting an image of camaraderie and mutual support, Banded’s work environment, under Ian McConnell’s leadership, was hazardous and lacked the necessary safeguards for employee protection. We believe that this dangerous work environment existed without our informed consent, stemming directly from Ian’s leadership and management practices.
We unite in denouncing Ian McConnell’s hazardous and negligent management decisions. We aim to give voice to our traumatic experiences and seek to prevent similar situations in the future.
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