Journalists who are being bullied are invited to contact BBC Radio 1 which is preparing a documentary on the problem.

Part of the programme will detail the experiences of someone facing bullying in the workplace and will include offering various forms of support. All contributors will remain anonymous.

Anyone who might be interested should email Tim Gopsill at timg@nuj.org.uk.

Following our account of the antics of a high-profile broadcasting bully, another member has come forward to share their experiences.

Pat, who is being advised by the NUJ, gave a disturbing account of "years of hell" at BBC Scotland.

"I have been subjected to public defamation, fabricated allegations, e-mail conspiring, gossip and rumour-mongering at the hands of my presenter with the complicity and even support of my line-management," Pat told us.

"Any objection or protest by me is met with managerial indifference, contempt, shouting and tantrums."

A common source of members' dissatisfaction with the BBC is the inadequacy of the corporation's grievance procedure.

In February 2003, Adli Hawwari and Abdul Hadi Jiad were dismissed from the BBC World Service, facing accusations of abusing the same grievance procedure which the management went on to ignore in carrying out the sackings. They later received an undisclosed settlement.

In that light, the story of Pat's own experiences had a familiar ring: "I have tried to get protection and redress through a laughable 'grievance procedure' which became another vehicle to threaten me with; had incompetent disciplinary procedures raised against me and been told, by a senior Human Resources employee, that if I carried on raising grievances then I wouldn't be working for the BBC."

Pat accuses the BBC of allowing "an ongoing culture of corporate brutality" in Broadcasting House in Glasgow, where producers are "threatened, undermined, back-stabbed, and terrorised on a day-to-day basis".

And referring to the campaign to expose the Bafta Bastards in BBC television, who are obsessed with winning one of the awards, Pat urges similar action against "the Sony Bastards in Radio Scotland who have been whipping and sacrificing lean production resources and abusing personnel as they pursue similar hysterical, self-aggrandising ego trips to win a Sony Award."

Noting that Radio Scotland failed to win an award in any category this year, Pat predicts that "this can only mean more whipping next year".

Please share your experiences of bullying, harassment or discrimination.

It can be helpful for those who experience bullying to understand that others have shared the same emotions, dilemmas and obstacles, whether or not the case resulted in a successful outcome.

No identifying details will be published without your explicit permission.

NUJ activity to combat bullying and harassment at work has uncovered some sad and disturbing cases.

Instances arising in the Broadcast sector have been all too predictable.

But officials have been shocked to hear of the tyrannical reign of one of Scotland's best-known radio broadcasters.

With a near-100 per cent staff turnover in two years and having seen off more than an editor per year, perhaps the most upsetting aspect of the case is the fact that the broadcaster in question is an NUJ member.

One member has told us of workers "waving staff contracts like exit visas" secure in the knowledge that any job within the organisation will be a release from the purgatorial regime.

Public humiliation, it is alleged, is the norm with ideas being torn to shreds while the abilities of the individuals are systematically dismissed in high-decibel rants. Inconsistency is another reported feature of the behaviour leaving workers with the feeling that they will be abused no matter what they do.

Disappointingly, senior management appear to be fully aware of the issue with many having been victims themselves before moving on to pastures new.

However, the onus has been put on individual members to act, despite their obvious vulnerability when in opposition to such a high-profile presenter.

Securing favourable resolutions to such problems can never be guaranteed. However, the NUJ is advising members on practical steps that can be taken in an effort to address the issue.

And, of course, the union will listen sympathetically to any member who wishes to stop their own bullying behaviour so that their workers can be rid of such problems.

Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, has unveiled what the Government believes is the world's largest project to stamp out bullying and discrimination at work.

The £1.8 million project will be led by Amicus, and will involve working with some of Britain's biggest employers to develop practical guidance tackle workplace bullying.

The project will provide support, advice and training to organisations trying to deal with bullying by:

	training employees as counsellors and investigators of bullying and harassment;
	devising and promoting a voluntary charter on 'dignity at work';
	promoting examples of excellent employers in the UK and lessons to learn;
	producing a benchmarking tool enabling organisations to measure their success in achieving dignity;
	producing a 'ban bullying' pack.

Announcing the project, Hewitt said: "We must tackle discrimination from the cradle to the grave. People's lives should not be made a misery by bigots fuelled by hate and ignorance."

"For too many people discrimination begins at school. And for many, the discrimination, harassment, victimization and violence that they experience at school is something they have to deal with through their whole lives - particularly in the workplace.

"The best employers already know prejudice stops talented individuals reaching their full potential and this is bad for business. Equality and economic success go hand in hand.

The project's partners include some of the UK's biggest companies.

The Trades Union Congress is to deliver an Equality Rights briefing in Glasgow.

Funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, the exercise is designed to raise awareness of European Employment Equality Regulations on Religion, Belief and Sexual Orientation and to contribute to the production of positive outcomes.

New trade union education materials have been produced as support materials and a two-day training course is to be delivered across the regions.

The Glasgow briefing is one of three pilots, the other two of which will be held in Cardiff and London.

The take-up from Glasgow has, so far, been disappointing and members with an interest in attending are urged to take advantage of what is an excellent opportunity to become informed about the new regulations and their impact on the workplace.

Those attending will hear from ACAS about the new legislation, as well as having a chance to look at the new training materials. Local officers and workplace activists are encouraged to attend and the TUC would also welcome employers who might benefit from the event.

The briefings take place between 10am an 1pm Monday, 5th April. The venue will be John Smith House at 145-165 West Regent Street.

To book a place, contact Rozanne Foyer at: rfoyer@stuc.org.uk.

For more information about the project, including the training, please get in touch with Mary Myles at: mmyles@tuc.org.uk.

The 2nd NUJ bullying seminar is to be held in Glasgow's Marriott Hotel on Saturday, 1st May.

The seminar, which is being organised by the Equality Council in conjunction with the General Federation of Trade Unions, will give members the opportunity to discuss experiences of workplace bullying as well as learning how to deal with the problem and its affects.

A model NUJ Dignity at Work agreement as well as bullying advice and information is now available for download on this site.

Places on the seminar are free but limited and those interested in attending should book as soon as possible.

To confirm your place please contact:
Debbie Smith, NUJ, Headland House, 308-312 Gray's Inn Road London WC1X 8DP.
Telephone: 020 7843 3723
E-mail: debbies@nuj.org.uk

Helen Reed was drawn to the title of a lecture by Dr Robert Hare, who created a checklist for spotting the psychopath.

What unfolded was a fascinating academic lecture with thought-provoking material for the 'real' workplace.

Dr Robert Hare suggests that psychopaths are an estimated 1% of the general population, and 15% of the prison population, most are not in prison. He also suggests that it's purely down to opportunity whether the psychopath ends up in prison or the workplace.

How to spot a psychopath in the workplace

The prime interest of the psychopath is self-interest, and even though they may only exist at one per cent in the workplace, their impact is enormous and the damage they wreak is disproportionate to their numbers.

A prototypical psychopath has particular characteristics in a heavy dose. They tend to be superficial, grandiose, manipulative and deceitful.

They lack empathy, lack remorse, don't accept responsibility, have poor behavioural control, and show anti social behaviour. They are in fact life's predators: tough, cold hearted, narcissistic, egocentric, unpredictable and ruthless.

Cool under pressure with an adroit use of charm and charisma, they intimidate and control others. There is often an intrusion of space and the predatory 'stare'. They have a natural ability to lie and deceive, and have an impressive use of jargon. They are naturals at undermining and pushing the buttons of others - the workplace bully.

White-collar criminal

The psychopath often ends up in leadership positions through manipulation, deviousness and use of others. But their capabilities as good leaders are fundamentally flawed, because of their ruthlessness and need to revel in prestige and power.

They will also discredit their employer as their behaviour is virtually always on the shady side of the law. They will be involved in some something of an illegal or undetected nature - at best swindling accounts or misusing expenses.

How they survive

Like any predator, psychopaths are extremely good at survival.

In the workplace they are clever at identifying useful 'pawns' and equally clever at setting up 'patrons' - important people who they can manipulate, charm and who can protect and defend them when necessary.

They also spread disinformation about themselves and others, i.e. they'll lie about their own education or ability. Disparage rivals and create conflict among co-workers when it suits them.

The way to catch a psychopath

Look for particular behaviour traits. You can catch a psychopath in an obvious lie and they will act as if nothing has happened with no embarrassment, unlike a normal person.

Another classic symptom can be the ability to fly off the handle into extreme anger or rage, but can change immediately as if nothing has happened. Where most non-psychopaths would take quite a while for the emotion to settle down again and recover.

In Dr Hares description he says: "Their real ability to experience ordinary emotions is a bit like the colour blind person understanding what is meant by the colour red."

If and when you ever catch out the psychopath, they will always claim that they are the victim. This often happens in bullying cases.

The ultimate problem?

"Us! " says Dr Hare.

"The majority of people and therefore workplaces are easy prey, because we still want to believe that people are inherently good. We don't really want to believe that such people exist."

But Dr Hare concluded that "perhaps a new name would help us to stop these predators?

"Instead of the name 'psychopath', what about substituting the word 'bastard'?

Helen Reed is a member of both the NUJ's National Executive Council and Equality Council.

In 2002, she won a landmark victory against the BBC, after she had been bullied and unfairly dismissed.

Helen is keen that members who have suffered bullying or who are still coping with bullying or harassment at their workplace should be able to discuss their experiences and gain empowerment from mutual support.

If you would like to support Helen's initiative, join the NUJ's anti-bullying campaign, or tell Helen of your experiences, please email her at helenreed@virgin.net.

Dignity at work policies will be demanded for every workplace in Scotland as part of an NUJ New Year offensive.

Bullying and harassment will be outlawed under new proposals currently being promoted by the union's Scottish office.

Some companies have already signed up for the deal or introduced their own version of the policy into agreements, including the Daily Record & Sunday Mail. Others, such as Johnston Group, have put it into their staff handbook.

The Dignity at Work scope covers all journalists working in any capacity as staff, casual or freelance.

It highlights the dangers of bullying and harassment to the health of individuals, morale of the workforce and effectiveness of the business.

This campaign follows a three-year study of workplace health by the union which discovered that not one employer in Scotland had carried out risk assessment on the causes of stress and related illnesses.

Bullying and victimisation were the main problems affecting members found to be suffering from stress. Other causes included long hours, high workloads, lack of appreciation, and only negative criticism shown by bosses. A number of NUJ members this year were forced to retire on grounds of ill-health while others simply left their jobs, some leaving the industry completely. Despite attempts to take legal action the union found many obstacles and shortcomings in the law on this issue.

Part of our approach to the problem is to lobby for changes in the law but initially to tackle the issue head on in the workplace and seek support and partnership approach of the employers.

Where it has been introduced we have seen disciplinary action against bullying and harassment and an immediate change in this destructive culture.

We have a responsibility to ensure employers follow up on their duty of care towards their workers - the DAW policy is the way to do it.

The Daily Record & Sunday Mail has the DAW policy in the house agreement. Disciplinary action has been taken twice against senior staff in line with the procedures and appears to have made an impact.

NUJ officials across the UK are arguing for DAW policies to be introduced along with improved grievance procedures at the BBC following a spate of high profile cases.

For many years The Scotsman Publications Ltd has been seen as a prime candidate for DAW. Stress has lead to a high turnover of staff including some senior and award-winning journalists. The joint chapels will be seeking its introduction.

Newsquest Strathclyde has become the latest target for the union DAW policies. This follows a shockingly high interest in redundancy figures from staff at The Herald.

The company agreed to carry out exit interviews. Results are expected to show a high degree of bullying.

PR and research staff at the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive have also alerted the to the need for a DAW agreement following a spate of complaints.

Reporters at Grampian TV and STV staff have complained to the NUJ about certain editorial managers and we have raised the issue with the company.

Those were the key findings from a survey carried out by the union in December to identify campaigning issues for 2004. The survey, the results of which were published this week, found that significant numbers of employees in call centres, engineering and at the Sky studios in Osterley identified a need for more effective management of the problems to minimise their incidence in the workplace.

However, until now Sky management have resisted requests for a policy on Bullying and Harassment, denying that any is needed.

BECTU spokesperson Sharon Elliott said: "It is interesting how, across all three areas, staff share concerns about workplace stress and bullying and point to poor investment in management and constant changes in demands on staff as the cause of these problems.

"We in BECTU are keen that Sky should have appropriate policies in place to deal with the range of staff issues which affect UK Industry as a whole. Bullying and Harassment is one such workplace issue and we hope that Sky will take seriously staff's request for clear guidance."

The ruling was that Mayer was not unfairly dismissed but he and the NUJ claimed a moral victory after the Tribunal described a "sad case involving a much respected broadcaster who went out on a limb to try to protect his colleagues from bullying and harassment."

The Tribunal found that Ellis, to whom Mayer had complained of an "atmosphere of intimidation", had failed to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation. She was also criticised for insisting on discussing the regional news programme's "terrible viewing figures" shortly before Mayer was due to go on air.

Compounding matters, the Tribunal found that the Corporation had then attempted to blacken Mayer's name.

Previous interpretations of the law had restricted compensation to actual financial loss.

The case had been taken by UNISON, whose General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: "This is a momentous victory which will have widespread implications for other cases of unfair dismissal. It is also a significant legal move which will make the law on unfair dismissal much fairer."

In most tribunal cases the compensation for financial loss is considerably less than £10,000. However, the new ruling means that if a claimant has suffered additional stress or humiliation, they will be entitled to compensation for that personal damage.

"It is a real step forward and it should make employers think very carefully about tackling workplace bullying or paying the price," Prentis added.

Christopher Dunnachie had originally won a £10,000 employment tribunal award after his 2001 resignation from his position at Hull City Council following what he says was a period of harassment from his line manager.

The Council failed to address or even recognise the problem, forcing Dunnachie to find a lower-paid job in another council to escape the bullying. He then resigned and made his claim for unfair dismissal.

However, Dunnachie himself will not benefit from the decision - the original employment tribunal found that his experience had been so bad that it awarded him the maximum compensation under the law at the time.

Seminar kicks off national anti-bullying campaign

'The worst-treated journalists in Europe'