Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

HR practiceBullying and harassment

BBC amends HR policy following suicide of employee

by David Challinor 2 Apr 2013
by David Challinor 2 Apr 2013

The BBC has made changes to its HR policy on bullying and harassment in the wake of its apology to the family of an employee who committed suicide following bullying accusations.








XpertHR FAQs on bullying and harassment



  • Is it lawful for an employer to dismiss a complaint of harassment or bullying from an employee who is thought to be “over-sensitive”?
  • Can employers be held liable for harassment that takes place during a work-related social event?
  • What is the difference between sex-based harassment and sexual harassment?
  • Under the Equality Act 2010, can an employee bring a claim for harassment where the unwanted conduct is not directed at him or her?

Radio Coventry and Warwickshire journalist Russell Joslin took his own life in October 2012 after making repeated complaints of bullying and sexual harassment, and after he allegedly spurned the advances of a colleague.

A BBC-commissioned report on the case, by external consultant and former BBC employee Lesley Granger, was published last week.

In a statement, the BBC responded to the report’s findings, acknowledging that the handling of the case was not good enough.

“It is clear from the report that a number of factors, including workplace culture, made it more difficult for Russell to raise concerns,” the statement said. “Disappointingly, the report also refers to behaviour that falls below the high standards we expect of all those who work for the BBC.”

The corporation has acted in response to the case by introducing a confidential helpline for staff who might have concerns with harassment or bullying, reviewing its support services and developing training for managers to help them spot bullying. It is also due to hold sessions for local radio teams, such as those in which Joslin worked, to give staff the opportunity to discuss what standards of behaviour they expect from each other.

“We will make managers more aware of the training that is already available on mental health in the workplace and ensure that this forms part of our standard leadership training,” the BBC statement added.

Capita Health and Wellbeing, which provides occupational health services to the BBC, has introduced a number of changes following the case.

As a result of these changes, all cases where bullying or harassment is mentioned are automatically referred by the occupational health case manager to a senior member of the clinical team, and procedures have been reviewed to ensure occupational health assessment reports are comprehensive and clear. Additional training for occupational health service case managers on the management of mental health cases has also been introduced.

The Granger report in full can be accessed via the BBC website.

XpertHR has a policy on investigating claims of bullying and harassment.

XpertHR also has survey data on how employers deal with bullying and harassment in their organisations.

Avatar
David Challinor

previous post
Allied Health Professions launch new fitness assessment report
next post
Jobs market sees faster growth in first quarter of 2013

You may also like

BNP Paribas banker accused of ’emotional terrorism’ wins...

19 May 2022

Police Scotland pays out £948,000 to female officer...

16 May 2022

Lack of flexibility pushes half of women to...

16 May 2022

Employment tribunal: use of word ‘bald’ can amount...

13 May 2022

Dealing with bullying in uncertain times

10 May 2022

Queen’s Speech: Exclusivity contracts for low-paid workers to...

9 May 2022

Are we happy now? New research Sugar-coats working...

6 May 2022

Alan Sugar calls PwC Friday afternoons off a...

6 May 2022

MPs call for parliament HR department

3 May 2022

Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

20 Apr 2022
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+