Category Archives: Bullying

Australia’s public servants reported hundreds of bullying allegations in recent months

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Volume of allegations suggests harassment and discrimination remains a problem within the government workforce

Hundreds of public servants have reported bullying, harassment and discrimination allegations since the end of the last financial year, as government departments strive to improve workplace safety.

The culture of government workplaces has come under renewed scrutiny since the Albanese government’s respect at work bill became law in November, requiring employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate harassment and discrimination.

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Every fire brigade in England plagued by bullying and harassment claims, report finds

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Inspectors say ‘deeply troubling’ behaviour found at fire and rescue services across England may be ‘tip of the iceberg’

Every fire brigade in England is plagued with bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints, a damning report has found, and officials have called for drastic measures to clean up the service.

Inspectors urged bosses to carry out background checks on every firefighter, with those who fail being sacked, after long-awaited findings shone a light on “deeply troubling” behaviour in the emergency service.

A senior officer accused of calling a black colleague the N-word dismissing it as simply “having a laugh”.

A firefighter reporting a superior for making a racist comment, only to find his account dismissed because the alleged offender “wouldn’t behave in such a way”. The senior officer in question then threatened “to make his life hell”.

Two male firefighters mockingly told a female colleague they were “going to rape her”, before simulating it with her.

Some staff being reluctant to speak up after being told it would be “career suicide” to do so.

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Dominic Raab: more civil servants in bullying complaint than previously thought

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Some officials were signed off for ‘extended periods’ while others stayed at work to protect colleagues, says complaint made by 27 staff at Ministry of Justice

A single official complaint regarding the behaviour of the deputy prime minister Dominic Raab represented the concerns of 27 of his officials, the Observer has been told.

The group of Ministry of Justice officials are understood to be represented by a memo warning that some colleagues had been forced to take time off for “extended periods” as a result of having to deal with Raab. It states that others affected felt they needed to stay at work to stop extra pressure being placed on their colleagues.

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First Nations public servants report higher rates of harassment

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Survey finds 16% of Indigenous Australian staff experienced bullying or harassment – almost double the rate of their non-Indigenous coworkers

First Nations staff in the federal public service have reported higher rates of bullying and harassment in the workplace than their non-Indigenous colleagues for the past four years.

Each year the Australian Public Service Commission asks staff to complete a survey detailing their experiences, including whether they have been subjected to harassment and bullying in the workplace.

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Third of staff allege bullying in Raab’s private office team

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Exclusive: Leaked annual survey shows fourfold rise in harassment claims in justice ministers’ office

A third of the staff in Dominic Raab’s private office at the Ministry of Justice have claimed to have been bullied or harassed while working in their current team in the past year, according to an internal Whitehall survey.

The results of the civil service survey from this week, which have been leaked to the Guardian, show that 10 of the 33 people who worked most closely with the justice secretary said they had been a victim of bad behaviour.

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London fire brigade put into special measures over misogyny and racism

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Watchdog to monitor force closely after damning report revealed deep-seated behavioural problems

London fire brigade (LFB) has been placed into special measures by the chief fire inspector after a report revealing incidents of misogyny, racism and bullying.

The watchdog moved the LFB into an enhanced level of monitoring on Wednesday, citing concerns about “culmulative evidence” from its last inspection and later of unacceptable behaviour within the brigade.

His Majesty’s inspector of fire and rescue services, Matt Parr, said: “We should recognise that London fire brigade’s recent cultural review was commissioned by the brigade, whose leadership has accepted its findings without reservation.

“However, it is clear that the behavioural problems we highlighted earlier this year are deep-seated and have not improved. We will now examine London fire brigade’s improvement plans more frequently and more intrusively, and work closely with the brigade to monitor its progress.”

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Mother of London firefighter who killed himself welcomes damning report

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Exclusive: Linda Francois, whose son Jaden Francois-Esprit was bullied in Wembley, says culture must change

The mother of a firefighter whose death triggered a review into the culture at the London fire brigade, has welcomed the findings of a damning report.

However, Linda Francois, whose son Jaden Francois-Esprit killed himself in August 2020, said that much remained to be done and making real changes in the workplace for people like her son was what really mattered.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or by email at jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

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Raab facing more formal complaints over bullying allegations from MoJ staff

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Exclusive: senior staff submit multiple complaints about deputy PM’s first stint at justice ministry

Dominic Raab is facing multiple formal complaints from Ministry of Justice (MoJ) civil servants over allegations of bullying behaviour during his previous stint running the department, the Guardian has been told.

The justice secretary has vowed to “thoroughly rebut and refute” the two official complaints he is already facing, one from the MoJ and one from his time as foreign secretary, but further formal allegations will be a blow to his attempts to clear his name.

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MoJ staff offered ‘route out’ amid concerns over Dominic Raab behaviour

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Exclusive: Some civil servants may have still been traumatised by his previous stint there, sources say

Senior civil servants at the Ministry of Justice were offered “respite or a route out” of the department when Dominic Raab was reappointed last month, amid concerns that some were still traumatised by his behaviour during a previous stint there.

Several sources told the Guardian that about 15 members of staff from the justice secretary’s private office were taken into a room where departmental officials acknowledged they may be anxious about his behaviour and gave them the option of moving roles.

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‘A cop out’: staff condemn NSW parliament’s statement on cultural problems

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Exclusive: ‘Statement of acknowledgment’ fails to recognise Indigenous, culturally diverse or LGBTQIA+ perspectives, say critics

A “statement of acknowledgment” of widespread cultural problems within the New South Wales parliament currently fails to recognise the experiences of Indigenous, culturally diverse and LGBTQIA+ staffers, with one calling it “a cop out”.

A draft form of the acknowledgment, made in response to workplace issues identified by the damning Broderick report, has been circulated ahead of the final to version being delivered in parliament on Tuesday.

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Sunak sharpens knives of his detractors with handling of Williamson scandal

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With No 10 seemingly one step behind events, prime minister cultivated his reputation for poor political judgment

On the steps of Downing Street just two weeks ago, Rishi Sunak sought to draw a line under both of his recent predecessors’ chaotic administrations, vowing that his would be one of “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.

But on Tuesday the prime minister’s promises – already shaken by his appointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary six days after she was sacked by Liz Truss, and his failure to fill the long-vacant ethics adviser role – took yet another battering as Gavin Williamson, the twice-sacked Cabinet Office minister, left the government under a dark cloud.

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Call to end use of gagging orders to silence victims of police misogyny

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Chief constables most to blame for crises sapping legitimacy of policing, says Police Federation leader

Police chiefs have been covering up the misogyny suffered by female officers and staff, and must stop using gagging orders to silence victims, the leader of rank and file officers has revealed.

Steve Hartshorn, chair of the Police Federation, which represents 130,000 officers up to the rank of chief inspector, said there should be a “hostile environment” for corrupt officers. He told the Guardian that chief constables bore the brunt of the blame for the crises that were sapping the legitimacy of policing.

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NSW Labor MP Walt Secord apologises amid bullying allegations

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MP says he can be ‘too blunt and too direct’, after release of landmark review into workplace culture

A senior New South Wales Labor frontbencher has unreservedly apologised amid allegations he bullied staff in the office of former Labor leader Jodi McKay.

After a landmark review into the workplace culture in the state’s parliament was released on Friday, Labor’s shadow police minister Walt Secord released a statement saying he was aware of his “shortcomings” and committing to “addressing my behaviour”.

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‘You’re the coolest kid’: Paul Rudd writes letter to bullied schoolboy

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Ant-Man actor befriends Brody Ridder of Colorado, whose classmates refused to sign his yearbook

The actor Paul Rudd has sent a handwritten letter to a 12-year-old boy after he received just two signatures from fellow students in his school yearbook.

The pair also spoke on FaceTime after Brody Ridder, from Colorado, came home from school with the yearbook.

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Sport stars support Welsh boy, 11, who lost finger escaping from bullies

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Boxer Anthony Joshua among those to contact Raheem Bailey, who suffered racial and physical abuse from fellow pupils

Sport stars including boxer Anthony Joshua have sent messages of support to an 11-year-old boy who lost a finger while trying to escape from school bullies.

Raheem Bailey, from Abertillery in south Wales, was attacked by a group of children on Tuesday, according to his mother, Shantal.

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Speaker calls for overhaul of UK parliament after series of scandals

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Sir Lindsay Hoyle says MPs should no longer employ staff directly, following revelations involving bullying and harassment

A radical overhaul of the working practices in Westminster is being demanded by the House of Commons Speaker, in the wake of a series of scandals over sexual harassment and bullying that have rocked parliament.

After a week in which MPs and staff have spoken out over their treatment in the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle said that a review of how parliament functions was now “urgently needed” following the damaging revelations.

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What is role of parliamentary watchdog ICGS set up in response to #MeToo?

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Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme was set up three years ago to process official HR complaints

Before this week, 56 MPs – including two shadow cabinet ministers – had reportedly been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), a parliamentary watchdog established more than three years ago.

The profile of the ICGS has been heightened after news that a Conservative MP, who allegedly watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons, has been reported to it.

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Labour MP Liam Byrne to be suspended from Commons for bullying aide

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Independent expert panel has recommended Byrne be suspended from chamber for two days

The Labour MP Liam Byrne will be suspended from the Commons for bullying a staff member, after being accused of ostracising the aide and denying them access to his parliamentary account.

An independent panel recommended Byrne be suspended for two days for a breach of bullying and harassment rules after a complaint from David Barker, a former member of his constituency staff, to the independent grievance scheme.

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School bullies to face jail under law approved by French MPs

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Draft legislation also proposes maximum fine of €150,000 in most serious cases

The French parliament has voted to make school bullying a criminal offence punishable by up to three years in prison, as MPs said society needed a wake-up call on the seriousness of children targeting their peers.

The proposed law was supported by Emmanuel Macron’s education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer.

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Revealed: scale of abuse and sexual harassment of women in UK military

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‘Widespread’ mistreatment linked to physical pain, fatigue, alcohol abuse and depression, research finds

Women are suffering serious and long-lasting physical and mental health problems from “widespread” emotional bullying, sexual harassment and physical assault in the UK military, research reveals.

Those most likely to have experienced such treatment were younger personnel, those who have held the rank of officer or had a combat or combat support role, according to findings published in the BMJ Military Health journal.

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