Changes to the UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line
The UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line has been running since January 1996 during which time it has logged nearly 3000 cases of bullying (click here for statistics). It has been a rewarding (albeit exhausting!) experience and a privilege to have helped so many people. After three years of providing telephone advice, I've decided to scale down the telephone counselling and focus my efforts into developing Bully OnLine and updating my book Bully in sight. Those without Internet access (or even those with) can still obtain my information sheet and newsletter Bullying Times by sending an A4 or A5 stamped addressed envelope with two loose second class stamps to: Workplace Bullying, PO Box 67, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 9YS, UK. If you are tackling bullying and have specific questions which are not covered by Bully OnLine or my information sheet, you can contact me here. Other bullying helplines are listed on the Links page under Helplines.

Peter Mandelson dilutes Fairness at Work proposals
In what is seen as a sop to employers, Peter Mandelson has altered the White Paper's original proposal to remove the £12,000 cap on compensation for unfair/constructive dismissal (to bring it into line with sex, race and disability discrimination law) and instead imposed an arbitrary limit of £50,000. This action suggests that Mr Mandelson is out of touch with what is happening in the workplace. For the reality the government would prefer you didn't see, click here. The proposed limit still makes it cost-effective for employers to dismiss anyone heading for a stress breakdown in order to avoid a personal injury claim. This is not morally or ethically acceptable. For the text of Mr Mandelson's written Commons statement on 17 December 1998 click here.

New name for this web site
You've heard of AOL (America OnLine), now here's BOL (Bully OnLine). With what's going on in the White House, some might say they're synonymous. But seriously, demand for my UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line is now so high that I'm devoting most of my energy to developing the world's largest Internet information resource on bullying. The site is a gold mine of information where everyone can help themselves. If you have further questions or comments or suggestions, please contact me.

Accidents caused by overwork
The UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the CBI, and the TUC have joined forces to demand that the Health & Safety at Work Act be extended to apply to employers whose overworked, stressed and fatigued employees are involved in road traffic accidents. Such accidents, it is estimated, account for around 1000 road deaths each year. The health effects of excessive stress are covered in detail on the health page.

DDA applies to mental illness
In a landmark case, Matthew Goodwin, formerly an employee at the Patents Office, has successfully claimed at an Employment Appeals Tribunal that mental health problems count as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The ruling means that all employees with mental health problems, including depression, are now protected under the DDA provided they are physically able to carry out their work.

Employment Rights (Disputes Resolution) Act 1998
The Employment Rights (Disputes Resolution) Act 1998 is an attempt to resolve unfair dismissal cases without the need for an employment tribunal; such cases form the bulk of tribunal cases. The arbitrator will rely on the ACAS code on disciplinary procedures and its more detailed guidance book Discipline at work to determine whether a dismissal was fair or unfair. As the arbitrator is unlikely to be legally qualified or experienced or versed in case law, it remains to be seen whether the system will work.

BBC News Online
The BBC have an online news web site updated daily at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news . Each page has a search facility enabling you to find and display news coverage from days and weeks past. This make an excellent clippings service. To see the BBC's coverage of the TUC conference on bullying on 5 October 1998 click here.

TUC Conference "No excuse: beat bullying at work"
Over 430 people registered for the TUC's conference No excuse: beat bullying at work held on Monday 5 October 1998 at Congress House in London. This is the largest attendance at a conference on bullying in the UK to date. Delegates heard presentations from a range of speakers including Health Minister Tessa Jowell, John Monks, Chris Ball, Neil Crawford, Charlotte Rayner, and others. Media coverage was good; Tim Field appeared on GMTV with John Stapleton and Penny Smith. See BBC News Online coverage in the previous item.

It's official! Bad management is cause of stress
Head of HSE's health directorate Dr Peter Graham has identified 'bad management' as a major cause of stress, the second most commonly reported work-related illness. The HSE have produced a leaflet Help on work-related stress which identifies the main causes of stress at work, states employers' legal obligations and provides advice on risk assessment. Environment minister Alan Meale recognises the unacceptability of stress and stated that the government "is determined to do something about it". To see facts, figures and costs of bullying click here.

MoD top brass to get anti-sexism training
Senior military officials are to undergo compulsory equal opportunities training, it was announced today (22 September 1998). The objective is to create harassment-free environments and to boost recruitment of women and ethnic minorities. However, former Chief of Defence Staff Lord Carver anachronistically condemned the anti-sexism training as a "ridiculous concession to political correctness" stating that "I think the money would be far better spent on other things".

It was propitious that this commitment appeared on the same day that the Navy's youngest recruit shunned a career in the Navy after repeated verbal and physical abuse including assault. 17-year-old David Allen received special dispensation to embark on a career in the Navy at age 16 (the normal age of entry is 17) having set his heart on a full 21-year naval career. He will now leave the Navy regardless of the outcome of the investigation into his case.

Clearly Lord Carver has not thought this through, which, for the person formerly in charge of our defence, is disturbing. People who commit acts of bullying, harassment and discrimination are weak, inadequate individuals who bully to hide their inadequacy. Each successful case of harassment and discrimination now produces a six-figure settlement which with legal bills etc costs taxpayers over £1 million per case, sometimes twice that. The MoD is bracing itself for for a rash of claims resulting from the type of leadership (sic) apparently championed by Lord Carver. Clearly, money should be far better spent on other things.

European Court rules caning illegal
Bullying is the common denominator of all violent behaviour, including corporal punishment. Now the European Court has ruled (23 September 1998) that corporal punishment is illegal. So, a century after it was made illegal to beat animals, children can now enjoy the same protection. Corporal punishment is a form of sexual assault which is explained on the abuse page.

Record payout
Former London Borough of Hackney chief personnel officer Samuel Yeboah was awarded a record £750,000 compensation this week (6 Sept 98) by a London employment tribunal after a marathon 104-day trial. It found that former Director of Housing Bernard Croftin discriminated against African employees and bullied and harassed Mr Yeboah by making false allegations of fraud against him. This is one of a number of tribunals involving record damages involving North London Boroughs which include Hackney, Lambeth, and Camden. Click here for comment.

Discriminating young bank manager's flying start to career
Former Midland Bank employee Andrew Gilbert has won his case for sex discrimination after his manager Kathryn Dowse, at 21 Britain's youngest female bank manager, dismissed him following a sequence of typical bullying tactics. These included humiliation (making him mop the floor), rudeness, patronising him, making complaints about his performance to superiors but not informing Mr Gilbert, perceiving him as a threat, singling him out and treating him differently from his three female colleagues, etc. "I can say quite emphatically we do not regard the bank's conduct as indicative of taking such steps as were reasonably practical to avoid discrimination", said the tribunal chairman. Having failed to enforce its own strict anti-discriminatory policy, Midland Bank's embarrassment is heightened as it was one of the first organisations to develop and implement an anti-bullying policy, and is often quoted as a pioneer in this area. Damages are under consideration.

Advice Line 3000th enquiry
At the beginning of September 1998, Tim Field's UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line logged its 3000th enquiry and 2500th case. For the latest statistics, click here.

Support groups
More and more Advice Line callers are asking about joining or starting a local bullying survivor support group. Existing groups are listed on the Links page. For ideas and guidance on starting a local bullying support group, click here. Existing support groups for teachers are at the bottom of the Teachers page.

Industrial Tribunals renamed
Now that the main provisions of the Employment Rights (Disputes Resolution) Act 1998 have come into effect, Industrial Tribunals have been renamed Employment Tribunals.

Data Protection Directive
The Data Protection Directive is a European-wide Directive (to be implemented by 24 October 1998) which gives employees further rights regarding the information held on their personnel record. The Data Protection Act 1984 already gives employees the right to see computerised information about them held by their employers. Legislation was then enhanced to include medical records.
This Directive goes further, extending employees' rights to paper-based information, and protecting their privacy. In particular, employers will be barred from collecting personal information such as ethnic background, political and religious views, union affiliation, and details of health and sexuality. There are exemptions where the information is to comply with employment legislation. Furthermore, employees not only have the right to see information, but have the right to be told that such information has been collected.

Workplace Bullying Web Site
These pages are believed to be the world's most comprehensive web site devoted to workplace bullying. Feedback welcome:

Tim Field, Success Unlimited, PO Box 67, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 9YS, UK

Contact

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