‘Big Brother’ style bullying will not be tolerated at council
With public, media and even political debate continuing as to whether Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty, has been the victim of bullying and racism in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Warwickshire County Council is making it clear that harassment of any sort will not be tolerated in its workplaces – and is offering support to anyone who feels they have been bullied.
Like many other employers, Warwickshire County Council takes the issue of staff harassment and bullying very seriously - whether it is to do with colour, gender, disability, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or anything else.
The council has trained a team of employees to offer confidential harassment advice and will soon be launching an updated information leaflet telling staff where they can go for support if they feel they have been bullied.
Judith Coote, Senior HR Consultant for Warwickshire County Council, said: “Thanks to our zero tolerance policy, staff feedback tells us that we are tackling bullying and harassment, but we must not become complacent.
“Warwickshire County Council takes this issue very seriously. It is important that all our employees know that the support is there for anyone who feels that they have been harassed.
“We have supported a group of staff who have volunteered to become Harassment Contacts, and have been trained to offer advice and support. Information on our attitude to harassment is also included in all induction packs for new staff.”
The county council has a Race Equality Scheme, which outlines its commitment to the elimination of racial discrimination within council services and employment practices, and forms part of the council’s wider equality and diversity strategy.
Morgon Evans, a Network Support Team Leader who volunteered to become one of the council’s Harassment Contacts, said: “I heard the council was very active against harassment and I wanted to do my bit to help. I believe helping our colleagues is fundamental to a happy and healthy working environment.”
According to The National Bullying Helpline, bullying is a major cause of staff grievance, high stress levels and high absenteeism, which will cost the public sector £1.8 billion over the next year.
A report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that over 20% of UK workers have been bullied over the last 2 years, with the highest levels reported in the public sector.