Bullying and Harassment WorkshopBT Operate Security

What we are going to cover today

• BT’s approach to Bullying and Harassment• What the information from CARE Agile is telling us• What to do if you have a Bullying and Harassment hotspot• Bullying and Harassment toolkit

No Reason

Video

BT Operates approach to Bullying and Harassment

• It is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. • It may harm the individual • It can affect those around them • It harms good working relationships

What the information from CARE Agile is telling us

• Many of our people feel that performance Management has been applied incorrectly. We have worked hard and addressed this

• Large scale restructuring has caused uncertainty for many people

• We need to demonstrate with our behaviours that this is a priority

• The most recent set of results showed improvement but there is still more to do.

B&H results Q4 08/09 to Q2 10/11

Q4 08/09 Q1 09/10 Q2 09/10 Q3 09/10 Q4 09/10 Q1 10/11 Q2 10/110%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

15%

20%19% 19% 19%

10%

BT Security Operate

Hotspots

What is a hotspot?• Hotspots are teams with 50 or more responses

and a “Yes” score of 20% and above, • plus 20 – 50 responses and a “Yes” score of

30% and above

Hotspots are :9 in Operate3 in Security

Definitions

Harassment is:• conduct and behaviours

– which the receiver perceives to be offensive, hostile, unwanted or unreasonable behaviours,

– which is unacceptable by normal standards of business behaviour and is causing disadvantage to the receiver.

OHP 8

DefinitionsBullying is a form of harassment, which includes the above

and the following definition (source: Andrea Adams Trust):

• Persistently negative malicious attacks on personal or professional performance, which are typically unpredictable, often unfair and irrational.

• An abuse of power or position that can cause such anxiety that people gradually lose all belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a direct result.

• In addition, bullying may not be an act which is one to one but may take of the form of “mobbing” i.e. when a group of people “gang-up” to make an individual feel excluded.

Normal Business Standards

We will create a work environment that is open, honest and unprejudiced and which encourages people to achieve their full potential.

  Harassment can prevent the development of productive staff. Prejudice undermines a motivated workplace. BT will not tolerate either in any form. (taken from The Way We Work)

Our Harassment and Bullying Policy• Create an environment which is free of bullying and intimidating

behaviours • Encourage all employees to behave in an appropriate manner

at all times • Encourage personal responsibility for ensuring that the dignity

of colleagues is respected at all times

‘Let’s Cut it Out’ Role Play

• Stevie, a sales manager, has a problem with three direct reports.

• Stevie expected the team to be high performing and operate effectively in a demanding environment and felt that Jo, Sam and Raj were especially talented.

• However Stevie was worried as a string of complaints about all three of them from team members had reached his/her ears. No-one had complained formally, but they all had the same theme – “we can’t make a move without them checking on us, or do anything without them grumbling”.

• It was a difficult period of time for the department and Stevie acknowledged that there was additional pressure to achieve results, however Stevie felt let down because he/she had worked hard to support them in doing this.

• As he/she left the office to get coffee, Stevie saw Jo and Sam heading towards the meeting room with an important client…..

‘Let’s Cut it Out’ Role Play

• Was it harassment or bullying?• What was acceptable behaviour?• What wasn’t acceptable behaviour?• What could be done to resolve the situation?

Litmus Test

Did I take time to prepare my message?Did I consider not only what I wanted to say but HOWI wanted to say it?Did I take time to understand the other persons point of view?Would I / do I behave in this way with other people?

Would I say or do this in front of:• A partner, children or parents?• Would I say or do this in front of a colleague of the

same/opposite sex?• Would I like to see my behaviour reported in an article in a

local or national newspaper?Would I like a member of my family to be on the receiving end of the same sort of behaviour?

As an Manager what do I need to do?

• Review the H&B report with the HRBP • Understand any underlying trends coming out of the report?

Ask yourself :– Do you have enough information to put together an informed

action plan? Would it help to run focus groups etc?– How good are the communications in the unit? What do people

really hear?– What actions will taken to address the issues identified?– Do you know what may have worked previously in this or other

areas?– Who should be involved in putting the action plan together?

Who has credibility?

Behaviours we want to encourage

• Considering how your style is perceived by, and affects those you work with.

• Adopting assertive behaviour, not aggressive.• Encourage and values peoples contribution• Challenging inappropriate behaviour in others• Understanding and respecting the work/life balance needs of

others• Avoid making assumptions about someone's actions – try

finding out why before jumping to conclusions• Being able to have honest, open and frank conversations where

needed.

Behaviours we don’t want to encourage

• Excluding people deliberately• Failing to respect boundaries• Publically embarrassing and criticising others• Not being diverse in your approach to working methods and

others• Inappropriate behaviour• Spreading rumours• Not helping someone who is in need of help or support.

Fall out

Video

Healthcheck Tool

HealthcheckTool

PersonalImprovementPlans Personal

DevelopmentPlans

1-2-1sTeamMeetings

ObjectivesHSE

Standards

Signed/AgreedDPRs

Retention

GrievancesAnd

Discipline

UnionFeedback

Employee

Engagement

Absence

StressStream/Stride

Suggested template for Focus Group or Team Meeting discussion

Agenda• Welcome, introductions – stress that what is discussed is

confidential and will not be attributed to an individual• Objectives – To discuss how it feels in the team and what issues

may be affecting how people feel• Insights from the CARE Agile and Harassment & Bullying

reports- Share initial reaction to the feedback

• What’s going well in the team?• What is not going so well?• What is the atmosphere and/or morale like in the team?• Are the communications in the team effective?• What do we need to stop, start, continue to address the issues

identified?• What happens next with the input?

Making sense of the feedbackWhat STANDS OUT to you about the feedback?• What reactions or feelings do you have about the feedback?• What are you pleased about?• What causes you concern?

What does this feedback tell us we’re doing well and not so well as a team?

What do we need to stop, start and continue doing in response to the feedback?

What has be we achieved/or done well that other teams can learn from?Where might we need help from other teams?

What type of interventions have been proved to be successful in the past?• Review of communications• Review of culture in team• Review of who does what in the team• Review of targets etc• Is the right person doing the right job?• Raising awareness of what is B&H• Ensuring all understand what are acceptable and unacceptable

behaviours• Open up communications channels• Visibility and accessibility of managers

Remember – it is not always overt behaviour that makes people feel as though they are being bullied or harassed, sometimes it is a build up of lots of little things

Where can I go to for help?

• There is a wealth of information on the website at : http://humanresources.intra.bt.com/bullying_and_harassment3 including a section for HR Business Partners

• B&H Business Lead is Stephen Rayner supported by Andy Talbot.

• HRBP’s Jacky West, Quintin Lewarne & Laura Horwood• Colleagues who may have partnered hotspot teams previously• Diversity Account Manager, Mick Wilkinson

Q&A