Mediation at the National Lottery about the conduct of CEO Jannie Haek

A mediation procedure is underway at the National Lottery regarding the conduct of CEO Jannie Haek. The unions accuse Haek of ‘unacceptable verbal violence’ against the staff of the government company and ‘excessive alcohol consumption’.

Since the end of March, a mediation attempt has been underway at the National Lottery between the CEO of the public company Jannie Haek and a joint trade union front of ACV, ACOD and ACLVB. De Tijd learned this from various sources and was confirmed by guardian minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V).

The mediation began after a union letter was sent to the board of directors at the end of February. In that letter, which De Tijd was able to view, the behavior of the CEO is denounced. ‘Over the years we have observed an increasing number of incidents involving verbal abuse by the CEO. These behaviors, characterized by a toxic attitude based on fear and intimidation, are inconsistent with our company’s values ​​and ethics.”

The unions emphasize in the letter that ‘some facts are recorded and shocking’. “The stress our CEO experiences, his attempt to quit smoking, his excessive alcohol consumption, and the fact that he does not like some people cannot justify this behavior,” the unions said. 58-year-old Haek, who has been head of the National Lottery since 2013, has received two fines from the labor inspectorate in recent years for smoking in the offices.

Following the union letter, the chairwoman of the board of directors, Géraldine Demaret, started a mediation process with an external mediator at the end of March. “The procedure is still ongoing,” says Demaret. ‘After a first round, the parties are now put around the table together. The goal is to improve relationships. The procedure is confidential to give them every chance of success. The atmosphere is constructive.’

The Van Peteghem cabinet, which is responsible for the National Lottery, confirms the procedure. “We are waiting for the results and will determine what needs to be done based on that,” the minister’s spokesperson said.

Yet the unions are very suspicious about mediation. ‘There are not fifty solutions. Either he changes his behavior, or his mandate comes to an end.’

The unions paint a picture of a CEO who feels increasingly unapproachable. ‘The National Lottery is are organization, where he tolerates less and less contradiction. If you try, you’ll get the full brunt and he’ll start screaming. People are afraid of him and avoid him.’ According to the unions, calling employees ‘stupid’ is no exception.

Government sources and the board of directors say they are taking the matter very seriously. Although Haek is known as ‘old-school’ and ‘rough’, they want clarity quickly about how things work on the work floor.

The situation is annoying for Haek, who comes from the red stable. He has been managing director of the Lottery since 2013, a six-year mandate that was extended in 2021. Before that, he was managing director of NMBS for eight years. The top civil servant also has a past with various socialist cabinets and was chief of staff of Johan Vande Lanotte for a long time.

Haek does not want to respond because “all participants in the mediation have signed a confidentiality agreement,” National Lottery spokesperson Jérémie Demeyer said.

The company does say, through Demeyer, that ‘the union letter states that the CEO has displayed a form of communication that has made people feel unsafe and hurt. He has spoken out about it and is aware that he has hurt people. He will ensure that this does not happen again.’

The company also emphasizes that the “intention is always to ensure a respectful and trusting environment at all times in which all employees feel valued.” Several more mediation attempts are planned for next week.