BBC article highlights the prevalence of sexual harassment in the NHS, and ultimately the need for an Active Bystander culture in any workplace
Analysis on Sexual Misconduct within NHS surgeries was this week published by the BBC. Undertaken by the University of Exeter, the University of Surrey and the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery, this report documented that nearly two-thirds of women surgeons who responded to the researchers had been the target of sexual harassment, with a third having been sexually assaulted by colleagues in the past five years.
One of those interviewed, a junior doctor at the time, described a situation in the operating room where a male surgeon was sweating while operating and used her breasts to wipe his brow. This happened twice before the junior doctor asked if he wanted a towel. The response “no, this is much more fun” was given with a smirk. This was witnessed by a room full of medical staff, which was expressed in this interview as being “the worst part of the experience”.
Sexual misconduct is defined as “an act that must have either violated someone’s dignity, whether it was intended or not, or created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them, whether it was intended or not.” Importantly, it can be a one-off act or a pattern of behaviour, but it doesn’t have to be repeated.
This NHS piece illustrates the importance of being an Active Bystander. You might witness something that doesn’t seem or look right or hear someone talking to someone in a way that is not appropriate. If this is not mentioned at the time, the experience leaves both parties (those who have been unjustly treated and those who have witnessed the incident) feeling upset and vulnerable. The bystander will inevitably have feelings of guilt afterwards.
At McKinney HR, we run training sessions on Being an Active Bystander. These can be done remotely or in person, at your site or ours, as part of a series of one-hour workshops or as a half day course. We are very flexible with the way we work and appreciate that this is important for busy businesses too.
We also have a full team of Investigators which can act in these situations. At McKinney HR we have many years’ experience, in undertaking workplace investigations in a range of organisations and workplace circumstances, including sexual misconduct cases. All have an HR or Employment Law background and experience in hearings, appeals and preparation for Employment Tribunals.
Professionalism is one of our values and we invest in the professional development of our Investigation team to ensure they are up to date with the latest employment law changes and best practices.
Contact us by email at support@mckinneyhr.co.uk for an informal conversation around these areas.