BP, the international oil and gas company, has tightened its rules on workplace relationships following the dismissal of its former CEO, Bernard Looney, for failing to disclose details about his personal relationships with colleagues. The new policy requires senior managers to report any intimate relationships that have taken place with colleagues in the last three years. Any employees who fail to adhere to the new rules may face disciplinary action. About 4,500 staff at managerial level have been asked to submit any reports in the next three months whether or not they feel they represent a conflict of interest. The update to BP's conflict of interest policy was scheduled for review this year and came into effect at the beginning of June. Previously, employees were only required to disclose and record family or intimate relationships at work if they felt there could be a conflict of interest. The new policy reflects the influence that leaders have within the organization.
BP launched an investigation into Looney's relationships with colleagues in 2022 following an anonymous tip-off. At the time, Looney disclosed a small number of historical relationships with colleagues prior to becoming CEO and it was found that there was no breach of company conduct. However, the board later received similar allegations, prompting another review. Looney had given inaccurate and incomplete assurances as part of the investigation into the relationships.
Rachel Suff, wellbeing and employee relations adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said that formal policies on relationships are more common in the US than in the UK. Many employers will take a 'common-sense approach,' but any relationships between managers and employees would be a clear conflict of interest and should be reported as they could create risks around confidentiality and fairness.
Looney had spent his career at BP, joining the company in 1991 as a drilling engineer. He became a member of its executive team in 2010 and presented himself as more approachable, posting pictures of smiling employees on Instagram when he took over as CEO in 2020. However, he faced scrutiny for watering down targets on cutting net carbon emissions.
The departure of Looney from BP came at a time when executives at high-profile organizations such as the CBI faced questions over their personal behavior. For senior managers in particular, 'it's vital that their behavior is respectful and professional at all times,' Ms. Suff added.