Gains in the workplace

Tesco and USDAW have worked jointly to introduce a dignity at work policy covering thousands of staff in the company’s retail and distribution outlets. Tesco has trained all managers and supervisors in the policy, and the union trained its reps, who were given time off to attend two-day courses. All depot employees received training conducted jointly by the company and the union.

USDAW’s updated policy with Tesco notes that harassment and bullying is not always face-to-face, and may be carried out via email or other means. It also explains that bullying can be carried out via “automatic supervision methods — such as computer recording of downtime from work, or recording of telephone conversations — if these are not universally applied to all workers”.

A new comprehensive and detailed policy was negotiated between the RMT, including its “harassment reps” and London Underground in 2010. It explicitly refers to all the protected characteristics and sets out both a formal and an informal process for dealing with complaints. Responsibilities are detailed for five different parties involved in the process, namely harassment advisers, accredited managers, employing managers, externally trained investigators and trade union harassment and bullying representatives, as well as the employees themselves.

Unite has negotiated Dignity at Work policies with Stagecoach and the Community Relationship Council. The union has also negotiated a national agreement with the Confederation of Paper Industries, which commits member companies to ensuring that “working practices are modern and suited to the values of the twenty first century”. The deal outlaws workplace bullying and harassment and requires companies to ensure that their policies, training and standards of conduct help achieve the right working environment.