Bullying is 'robust management' at CLG
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Bullying in the Communities and Local Government department is better described as a ‘robust management style,’ the department’s top official has told MPs.
Permanent secretary Peter Housden was one of several department directors questioned by the Communities and Local Government Committee about problems of bullying, harassment and discrimination raised in staff surveys.
Quizzed by committee chair Phyllis Starkey, Mr Housden did his best to quash the accusations. He said concerns had been raised about a ‘rather robust management style’ in the department, which ‘didn’t really draw out from people their opinion and views and treat them with respect’.
He added: ‘There’s been a lot of investment in coaching and [we’ve] provided some opportunities for staff who feel that they’re being badly treated to talk off line with councillors. I think we’ve made important progress in this area and our staff survey that is being produced now shows further improvements.’
A staff survey three years ago at the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister revealed that 14 per cent of black and minority ethnic employees said that they were suffering from bullying and harassment. The results of another survey last year showed little improvement had been made.
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Readers' comments (7)
Alan Savage | 14/10/2008 3:38 pm
Bulling is anti-social behaviour. Whatever are workers at Communities and Local Government department doing engaging in such nasty behaviour? Their parents need parenting classes urgently. What’s’ sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander surely!
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Ken Staunton | 15/10/2008 1:12 pm
If this report accurately reflects Mr Housden's views he has totally misunderstood a) what bullying is and b) what is happening in the workplace. Undoubtedly some "robust management" feels like bullying to some workers, but bullying is much much wider and more corrosive than that. Bullies can be workmates or even subordinates of the bullied worker. Very often the victim will not even know who is responsible, for example if they are subjected to a whispering campaign. Bullying is a serious problem and can lead to the complete breakdown or physical harm to the victim. However, I doubt that it is getting worse, as statistics seem to indicate, but rather that workers are more aware of their rights, more willing to speak up, and have better protection than before when they do complain, so the problem is more apparent. Employers should remember that they can be held vicariously liable for harm to their employees inflicted by other employees and take action. This includes Mr Housden.
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Simon Edmund | 15/10/2008 1:50 pm
Recently it was an highlight in the media of the alleged racism and discrimination that still exist in the Metropolitan Police force, however, this problem is not isolated just in that field but exist in large corporations, effectively run by a majority middle age (40 - 45+) white male executives. I have worked in Social Housing for 17 years coming from a disadvantage background and I have found I have had to work over and beyond white colleagues with lesser knowledge, experience and skills to get anywhere and often found that those individuals still tend to progress quicker and further irrespective of how much, how hard or how good I work.
I experienced this at the beginning of my career in 1991 working for a local authority and still experience it to this day.
However, in this day it has got so very subtle because employers / managers are very much aware and alert to risks of being called racist and are more skilled at hiding their true feelings behind skillful wording and clever cloaking actions.
However black and minority ethnic individuals tend to be subject to a higher level of scrutiny than their white colleagues.
Black and ethnic minority individuals tend to have to operate whiter, whiter than white, however, still when something goes wrong they are still treated with suspicion and their ability and integrity tend to be questioned more easily then their white colleagues.
I am Black British, born and bred in this country and lived through the various changes of attitudes toward racism, discrimination and prejudice and therefore I am aware of negative and positive discrimination.
Corporately and legally people have had to curtail their personal negative attitudes and behaviour that could be deemed as racist but that does not mean to say that it has been eliminated, it just that they have had to learn how to hide it well when in the public eye.
It is very hard to challenge bullying and discrimination in the corporate world because of the subtleness that is used and as a minority in a predominantly white organisation when facing such behaviour, if you do challenge it, you are asked, if there are other witnesses who could verify your claim and thats when you hit a brick wall.
The reason for that is because if the majority of your colleagues are white they will probably not notice the difference beyond the subtle actions (quite often the bullying and discrimination is done on a 1-2-1 basis with no witnesses) and also colleagues tend not to want to get involved for fear that they will be targeted later as their cards would be marked and also sadly to say for white colleagues they hold the fear of being called a racist themselves hence tend to dampen down or reject that racism exist in their workplace.
In truth how would they know if they have never been subject to racism but for a black or ethnic person they do not need to be called an outright racist name to know that a certain individual have racist or prejudice connotation in their attitude and actions but are skilled in disguising it.
If a case was to be answered who is there in authority to make a judgement, a panel of white men and/or women who can only judge on statements of words but if never had been subject to racism, discrimination or prejudice cannot judge how an affected person feels towards the craftedly subtle actions of a person/s afflicted by discriminative attitudes.
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Alan Savage | 15/10/2008 4:32 pm
I just wanted to take my hat off to you, Simon, for your open and honest account of experiencing bullying. Excellent words and some of the best I have read on this forum.
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beau symons | 15/10/2008 8:19 pm
Alan - 'bullying is anti-social behaviour'... might I suggest that Mr Housden and his 'robust managers' are served with an ASBOs?
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Andrew Ochia | 16/10/2008 9:20 am
I find it quite sad that the Permanent Secretary is dismissing the serious topic of bullying, discrimination and harrassment amongst staff at CLG. He may think it's witty and clever to use lazy jargon to defend or even ignore the obviously poor human relations taking place at the CLG. Unfortunately for him this issue will not go away so rather than inventing meaningless jargon maybe he should focus on conducting a detailed investigation of management and human relations within the CLG.
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teddy mcnabb | 30/11/2009 7:07 am
I know all about what is "robust" at northampton borough council.
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