Exclusive: More than a dozen women raise concerns about different men – with one woman alleging she was raped at staff party

More than a dozen women claim to have been victims of various forms of sexual misconduct by senior figures at the Confederation of British Industry, including one who alleges she was raped at a staff party on a boat on the River Thames.

The women, who all work at the CBI or worked there in recent years, approached the Guardian with fresh concerns about what they describe as a toxic culture at Britain’s most influential business lobbying organisation.

An attempted sexual assault by a manager at the same staff boat party in 2019.

A senior manager sending explicit images to junior female staff over several years.

Other senior managers behaving unprofessionally and inappropriately towards much younger female colleagues: alleged instances include a former board member touching a female employee’s bottom and making what was seen as a sexualised remark to another woman in earshot of several colleagues.

A manager propositioning women after they felt he pushed them to drink more alcohol, while they were already drunk.

Widespread use of cocaine at official CBI events.