Anti Bullying, Discrimination and Harasment a Trojan Horse

There was recently an update for the Anti Bullying training that many will have done.

However how many Reps, managers or colleagues have actually read the full policy?

If you’ve answered no, may I suggest you all read the updated policy as the policy as it’s been rolled out is the most dreconian and dehumanising policy every signed through by USDAW.

The policy makes the act of touching someone on the shoulder a automatic gross misconduct issue if the “victim” decides your touch was ( unwanted ) and falls under sexual harrasment. God help you if your a tactile person.

Staring at someone is now in the same category as Ogling. Yep Gross misconduct Sexual Harsment.

That banter you have with a colleague. Someone else took offence Bullying

Using the wrong words when chating with someone giving advice they don’t like. It offended them ( in the office you go. )

*The policy dehumanises the work place.
*It causes mistrust between colleagues.
*It prevents managers and team leaders correcting poor behaviour or laziness. ( Bullying.
*It creates an unsafe work environment.
*It discriminates against colleagues
*It breaches Article 10 freedom of expression.
*It’s open to abuse by managers wanting to get someone out of the buisiness.

They are just a few of the problems with the policy

The policy removes Mitigation for innocent incidents, miscommunication, and personal human traits.

It removes reps ability to represent and support colleages fairly and robustly in many areas its a castrating policy and a very dangerous one.

Lets give a senario.

A colleague is at the computer on the shop floor. Another colleague in a rush needs to reach something at the printer he / she lays hands on the person’s arms and gently moves them saying excuse me move your big bum so I can get this paperwork. That’s the type of banter they have normally.

Someone else hears this and complains about the banter and the fact they touched the other person.

It’s investigated and the other person says yes he/She moved me I felt a little uncomfortable because I don’t like being touched. We then have
1. Inappropriate banter possibly of a sexual nature because they made reference to the person’s bottom
2. Unwanted touching automatically under the new policy its Sexual Harrasment.
As Harrasment has now been redefined outside of the dictionary defenition of something that happens more than once to if it happens once.

As the rep what are you supposed to do? You can argue the mitigating circumstances you can state there was no sexual connotations. But the policy is clear.

Inappropriate comments of a sexual nature or demeaning nature gross misconduct

Unwanted touching Gross misconduct.

Now add that to a store manager who may not like that person. ABUSE OF POLICY.

That was a real world senario except for the rouge store manager.

Raise any concerns with your area organisers

And read the policy fully and ask yourself is there any point remaining as a rep or even as a union member paying for something that you don’t get?