John Allan has decided to quit as Tesco chairman following allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer has said that the allegations against Allan risked becoming a distraction for the company. Allan has been at the helm at Tesco since 2015.&nbsp;

The company said that Allan will step down at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting next month, and senior independent director Byron Grote will take over as interim chairman. Grote will preside over Tesco's annual general meeting on June 16.

Tesco clarified that Allan’s tenure was due to end shortly anyway and a succession planning process was already in progress. Allan in a statement said, “It is with regret that I am having to prematurely stand down from my position as chair of Tesco following the anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations made against me, as reported by the Guardian."

<h2>Allan facing sexual harassment cases from four women</h2>

Guardian earlier reported that four women had levelled allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Allan in four separate cases. Here are the details about the allegations:

Reportedly, on the CBI annual day held in May 2019, he touched the bottom of one of the complainants. While Allan denied the charge, as per the Guardian report, an anonymous source claims to have witnessed the incident at the Brewery in London on 21 May 2019.

- Also in 2019, he made inappropriate comments about another complainant's appearance, telling her that a dress "suited her figure". A complaint about his remark was made to a manager. The Tesco chair accepts that this happened but claims that it was a case of a "misjudged way of seeking to cheer someone up."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesco-chair-john-allan-accused-of-sexual-harassment-inappropriate-behaviour-by-four-women-report-590734">Also Read |&nbsp;Tesco chair John Allan accused of sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour by four women: Report</a>

- The third complainant claims that Alan made inappropriate comments about her bottom. She alleges that he told her that her dress was making it hard for him to concentrate on anything else. This allegedly happened in 2021, and as per Guardian, a source has corroborated the events of the incident.

- A fourth complaint alleges that on June 17, 2022, at the company's annual general meeting at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, Allan touched a senior woman's bottom.

<h2>Committed to upholding women's rights: Tesco</h2>

Following the allegations, Tesco in a statement said that it was committed to ensuring a safe working environment for all colleagues.

The statement read, “At Tesco, we are committed to ensuring all colleagues are respected and feel safe at work. Tesco’s people policies apply to all colleagues, and all concerns or complaints raised about conduct are always taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. This is a serious allegation, and if anyone has any concerns or information, we would ask them to share those with us through any of our reporting channels, including through our confidential Protector Line, so we can investigate."

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John Allan has decided to quit as Tesco chairman following allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer has said that the allegations against Allan risked becoming a distraction for the company.

John Allan has decided to quit as Tesco chairman following allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer has said that the allegations against Allan risked becoming a distraction for the company. Allan has been at the helm at Tesco since 2015. The company said that Allan will step down at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting next month, and senior independent director Byron Grote will take over as interim chairman. Grote will preside over Tesco's annual general meeting on June 16. Tesco clarified that Allan’s tenure was due to end shortly anyway and a succession planning process was already in progress. Allan in a statement said, “It is with regret that I am having to prematurely stand down from my position as chair of Tesco following the anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations made against me, as reported by the Guardian." Allan facing sexual harassment cases from four women Guardian earlier reported that four women had levelled allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Allan in four separate cases. Here are the details about the allegations: Reportedly, on the CBI annual day held in May 2019, he touched the bottom of one of the complainants. While Allan denied the charge, as per the Guardian report, an anonymous source claims to have witnessed the incident at the Brewery in London on 21 May 2019. - Also in 2019, he made inappropriate comments about another complainant's appearance, telling her that a dress "suited her figure". A complaint about his remark was made to a manager. The Tesco chair accepts that this happened but claims that it was a case of a "misjudged way of seeking to cheer someone up." Also Read | Tesco chair John Allan accused of sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour by four women: Report - The third complainant claims that Alan made inappropriate comments about her bottom. She alleges that he told her that her dress was making it hard for him to concentrate on anything else. This allegedly happened in 2021, and as per Guardian, a source has corroborated the events of the incident. - A fourth complaint alleges that on June 17, 2022, at the company's annual general meeting at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, Allan touched a senior woman's bottom. Committed to upholding women's rights: Tesco Following the allegations, Tesco in a statement said that it was committed to ensuring a safe working environment for all colleagues. The statement read, “At Tesco, we are committed to ensuring all colleagues are respected and feel safe at work. Tesco’s people policies apply to all colleagues, and all concerns or complaints raised about conduct are always taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. This is a serious allegation, and if anyone has any concerns or information, we would ask them to share those with us through any of our reporting channels, including through our confidential Protector Line, so we can investigate." WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

John Allan to step down as Tesco’s chairman following allegations of sexual harassment

Tesco chair John Allan, as per a Guardian report, is facing allegations of "inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour". According to the report, four women have accused the Tesco chairman of harassment.

Allan allegedly touched the bottoms of two female employees and made lewd, inappropriate comments towards the other two.

Here are the case-by-case details of the four allegations:

- Reportedly, on the CBI annual day held in May 2019, he touched the bottom of one of the complainants. While Allan denied the charge, as per the Guardian report, an anonymous source claims to have witnessed the incident at the Brewery in London on 21 May 2019.

- Also in 2019, he made inappropriate comments about another complainant's appearance, telling her that a dress "suited her figure". A complaint about his remark was made to a manager. The Tesco chair accepts that this happened but claims that it was a case of a "misjudged way of seeking to cheer someone up."

- The third complainant claims that Alan made inappropriate comments about her bottom. She alleges that he told her that her dress was making it hard for him to concentrate on anything else. This allegedly happened in 2021, and as per Guardian, a source has corroborated the events of the incident.

- A fourth complaint alleges that on June 17, 2022, at the company's annual general meeting at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, Allan touched a senior woman's bottom.

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The Tesco chief has denied all but one allegation and that one too he has chalked up to a "misjudged way" of trying to cheer the person.&nbsp;

Responding to the claims, his spokesperson said he was mortified about the one allegation he accepts and that other claims were "simply untrue".

"Mr Allan was mortified after making the comment in 2019 and he immediately apologised. The person concerned agreed the matter was closed and no further action was taken. Regarding the other claims, they are simply untrue," his spokesperson said.

"Even so, Mr Allan requested that Tesco and Fox Williams – who were instructed by the CBI to conduct an investigation following various allegations – investigate them. Fox Williams decided not to, and Tesco is not aware of and has not received any complaints about Mr Allan’s conduct either at the 2022 AGM or over the eight years that he has been chair of Tesco."

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The company said that it hasn't received any complaints about John Allan's conduct at Tesco.

"In relation to John Allan’s conduct at Tesco’s 2022 AGM, Tesco has received no complaints or concerns formally or informally, including through our confidential Protector Line service."

"At Tesco, we are committed to ensuring all colleagues are respected and feel safe at work. Tesco’s people policies apply to all colleagues, and all concerns or complaints raised about conduct are always taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. This is a serious allegation, and if anyone has any concerns or information, we would ask them to share those with us through any of our reporting channels, including through our confidential Protector Line, so we can investigate," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Tesco chair John Allan, as per a Guardian report, is facing allegations of "inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour". According to the report, four women have accused the Tesco chairman of harassment.

Tesco chair John Allan, as per a Guardian report, is facing allegations of "inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour". According to the report, four women have accused the Tesco chairman of harassment. Allan allegedly touched the bottoms of two female employees and made lewd, inappropriate comments towards the other two. Here are the case-by-case details of the four allegations: - Reportedly, on the CBI annual day held in May 2019, he touched the bottom of one of the complainants. While Allan denied the charge, as per the Guardian report, an anonymous source claims to have witnessed the incident at the Brewery in London on 21 May 2019. - Also in 2019, he made inappropriate comments about another complainant's appearance, telling her that a dress "suited her figure". A complaint about his remark was made to a manager. The Tesco chair accepts that this happened but claims that it was a case of a "misjudged way of seeking to cheer someone up." - The third complainant claims that Alan made inappropriate comments about her bottom. She alleges that he told her that her dress was making it hard for him to concentrate on anything else. This allegedly happened in 2021, and as per Guardian, a source has corroborated the events of the incident. - A fourth complaint alleges that on June 17, 2022, at the company's annual general meeting at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, Allan touched a senior woman's bottom. Also read | Texas mall shooting: 'Gun-loving' former Army officer pushes for gun control. Know why The Tesco chief has denied all but one allegation and that one too he has chalked up to a "misjudged way" of trying to cheer the person. Responding to the claims, his spokesperson said he was mortified about the one allegation he accepts and that other claims were "simply untrue". "Mr Allan was mortified after making the comment in 2019 and he immediately apologised. The person concerned agreed the matter was closed and no further action was taken. Regarding the other claims, they are simply untrue," his spokesperson said. "Even so, Mr Allan requested that Tesco and Fox Williams – who were instructed by the CBI to conduct an investigation following various allegations – investigate them. Fox Williams decided not to, and Tesco is not aware of and has not received any complaints about Mr Allan’s conduct either at the 2022 AGM or over the eight years that he has been chair of Tesco." Also read | Two more actresses charged for not wearing hijab in Iran The company said that it hasn't received any complaints about John Allan's conduct at Tesco. "In relation to John Allan’s conduct at Tesco’s 2022 AGM, Tesco has received no complaints or concerns formally or informally, including through our confidential Protector Line service." "At Tesco, we are committed to ensuring all colleagues are respected and feel safe at work. Tesco’s people policies apply to all colleagues, and all concerns or complaints raised about conduct are always taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. This is a serious allegation, and if anyone has any concerns or information, we would ask them to share those with us through any of our reporting channels, including through our confidential Protector Line, so we can investigate," it added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tesco chair John Allan accused of sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour by four women: Report

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John Allan to step down as Tesco’s chairman following allegations of sexual harassment

Tesco chair John Allan accused of sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour by four women: Report