Bullying and harassment in delivery offices

[martin the green]

absolutely amazing if you look at the date this topic started and still the union do nothing even though it is still happening all over Britain

[dvbuk55]

absolutely amazing if you look at the date this topic started and still the union do nothing even though it is still happening all over Britain

Be fair Mart, it is only 10 months since the thread opened and there's miles more chattering to go

[willhenshaw]

Too much bullying goes on, and they get away with it. A complaint against 1 that becomes the whole team joining in. I gave lots of evidence and examples... Yet the outcome of my complaint was ridiculous... They ended up ending my fixed term contract... iPad NO help, or support... My complaint was ignored!

[willhenshaw]

Why is bullying ignored and ridiculed?...

[Budfrog]

Why is bullying ignored and ridiculed?...

I wouldn't say it was ridiculed but RM certainly turns a blind eye to what has become an endemic problem within the business. I would say that part of the problem is to do with the selection procedure for managers, many of whom do not have the capability or skills to supervise staff. But also if you look at the more senior levels of management it seems that to be a bully is almost a badge of honour and this type of behaviour is then copied as if it is what is expected by the tiers below.

The most damning indictment of Royal Mail is that they fail to admit there is a problem or do anything to correct it. I have raised my own concerns with 2 MPs (one Labour and one Conservative) and to be fair the office of Jo Swinson did forward my communication to Royal Mail who issued the following:

Royal Mail assures me it does not condone and is committed to dealing with any form of bullying and harassment. The company and the CWU are both committed to upholding standards of fairness, dignity and respect and seek to work together to create a climate across the business that reinforces this. Royal Mail considers it has strong anti bullying policies and clear procedures in place, which have been agreed with the CWU. You will be aware that this includes bullying and harassment grievance procedures, should any member of staff suffer any form and unfair treatment or victimisation, supported by a bullying and harassment helpline which offers confidential and impartial advice. There is also independent investigation of any complaints that have been submitted.

We raised your general concerns with Royal Mail (not revealing your details). The company considers that most of its managers have a good relationship with their team members. Any managers found after investigation to have bullied staff are liable to be disciplined or dismissed, regardless of what level they are within the business. I understand that the recent CWU survey elicited only 600 responses from a total Royal Mail delivery workforce of around 95,000 people. But the company has assured us that it is not complacent. It remains committed to dealing with any claims of bullying and harassment and has confirmed it is talking to the CWU about the concerns raised by their survey and is working with them to address and investigate these. I hope that you will welcome that the company is also in the process of overhauling its training for managers and is rolling out initiatives across the business to improve engagement and involvement during its period of significant change, to get managers and staff working more closely together for the future success of the business.

I think most here at RMC will see that this is complete bollox.

[willhenshaw]

My case was not identified as anything more than a complaint.

And they heard it, and said I'd not made the complaint in good faith and were going to discipline me for raising the complaint.

So lying to me, witholding information,, failing to pay me correctly, being agressive to me 90% of the time, setting me up for conduct issues and pinning me up a toilet wall and calling me a W***** ( this had to be omitted from investigation and handled by managers best bud) is acceptable behaviour....

[Shambles]

How many suicides relating to B&H have to happen for there to be change?

[dvbuk55]

How many suicides relating to B&H have to happen for there to be change?

I don't know - how many has there been already?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

How many suicides relating to B&H have to happen for there to be change?

I don't know - how many has there been already?

One at least - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -case.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its not something that will appear on a death certificate however, sadly there are more than a few examples on RMC of colleagues committing suicide.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=30551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; 1 office in Enfield 2010

It is suspected that Mr Bland hanged himself on July 25. His death was followed by Mr Lake-Berger’s on October 2. Mr Campbell died five days later on October 7. He is also suspected of hanging himself.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... de#p304217" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; An Engineer at Royal mail in 2010.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... de#p215108" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; AN inquest was due to open today after a "generous and friendly" village postman was found dead in Swansea woodland. - 2009

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... de#p184290" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; 2009 an Expostman who was being investigated.

and then infamous case from 2007 of Jermain Lee - http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jan/09/race.world" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Suicide of black worker 'caused by bullying

It said that a year-long internal investigation, the most thorough the company had carried out, had uncovered a "macho" culture of bullying and prejudice in the Royal Mail office where Mr Lee was based.

Senior managers picked on individuals they disliked, harassed them and denied them promotion. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -case.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Shambles]

Thanks TBT

[dvbuk55]

There was the one case that was totally attributable to a B&H culture but really that was about it and it was 12 years ago. The B&H today is of a very different nature and has really only been evident on this scale since BT2010, it's really a management desperate to produce results and in so doing are carping to employees who do not want to work at the pace set because it is unrealistic in reality but possible using the revision process.

[Shambles]

There was the one case that was totally attributable to a B&H culture but really that was about it and it was 12 years ago. The B&H today is of a very different nature and has really only been evident on this scale since BT2010, it's really a management desperate to produce results and in so doing are carping to employees who do not want to work at the pace set because it is unrealistic in reality but possible using the revision process.

I disagree there have and are many more, I'm afraid

[dvbuk55]

There was the one case that was totally attributable to a B&H culture but really that was about it and it was 12 years ago. The B&H today is of a very different nature and has really only been evident on this scale since BT2010, it's really a management desperate to produce results and in so doing are carping to employees who do not want to work at the pace set because it is unrealistic in reality but possible using the revision process.

I disagree there have and are many more, I'm afraid

Well there doesn't appear to be any evidence to support your opinion. Clearly there are suicides but not attributable to bullying and harassment.

[fishtank]

Well there doesn't appear to be any evidence to support your opinion. Clearly there are suicides but not attributable to bullying and harassment.

It's very difficult to directly attribute suicide to any single issue,Suicide notes are generally short and tend to concentrate on saying goodbye rather than describing what led to the decision.
Since we can't really ask the dead after the fact speculating one way or the other is pointless but what we do know for sure is that bullying and harassment often results in or exacerbates depression and many suicide victims have a proven medical history of depression so it's not a leap of faith to imagine that there would be some correlation between the two.

[Budfrog]

There was the one case that was totally attributable to a B&H culture but really that was about it and it was 12 years ago. The B&H today is of a very different nature and has really only been evident on this scale since BT2010, it's really a management desperate to produce results and in so doing are carping to employees who do not want to work at the pace set because it is unrealistic in reality but possible using the revision process.

I disagree there have and are many more, I'm afraid

Well there doesn't appear to be any evidence to support your opinion. Clearly there are suicides but not attributable to bullying and harassment.

There never will be much evidence as many victims of B&H suffer in silence and as has been said before it doesn't appear on the death certificate. What you can say is almost certainly true is the fact that suicides as a result of B&H will be much higher in an industry where this type of despicable behaviour is endemic. I don't blame the junior managers who are by and large too ignorant/stupid to know any better and are most likely bullied by their managers, I blame those at the top who are publicly in denial even though they know about (and probably encourage) this type of behaviour. If someone raises a case which is proven ... RM simply moves the problem (and the manager) to another unit where it all starts again.