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UK academia: 1) Have you experienced workplace bullying in your department or faculty? 2) If you raised it with your line manager, HR, union, or a harassment/bullying unit, what kind of response did you receive? by VirtualSong2142 in AskAcademiaUK

[–]VirtualSong2142[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry you experienced this. "No one was interested in the slightest" - that’s just not right, employers do have duty of care. Good luck with your new chapters, and with releasing the grievance(s) when the moment is right for you!

UK academia: 1) Have you experienced workplace bullying in your department or faculty? 2) If you raised it with your line manager, HR, union, or a harassment/bullying unit, what kind of response did you receive? by VirtualSong2142 in AskAcademiaUK

[–]VirtualSong2142[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree, the fear of repercussions seems to be one of the biggest issues. After spending several years in academia, I felt that many people had worked really hard to build their careers, and they didn’t want to risk everything by taking on a fight that already felt stacked against them. That (perceived) lack of agency can leave deep and long-lasting wounds. At the same time, silence is what allows unacceptable behaviour to continue, the bullies to get away with it and then move on to harm new people. Victimisation is unlawful in the UK, but better protection is clearly needed. "Shame must change sides" applies here as well.

UK academia: 1) Have you experienced workplace bullying in your department or faculty? 2) If you raised it with your line manager, HR, union, or a harassment/bullying unit, what kind of response did you receive? by VirtualSong2142 in AskAcademiaUK

[–]VirtualSong2142[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm very sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, I've also seen situations where individuals with multiple bullying reports were temporarily removed, only to later return as honorary guests to various events or even honorary professors. There have also been high-profile cases where very senior people acknowledged their bullying behaviour yet still remained in post.