25 sex cases at BBC
Number of probes has spiked after Weinstein revelations, boss admits
THE BBC is investigating 25 cases of alleged sexual harassment after the Harvey Weinstein scandal prompted a ‘spike’ in staff coming forward.
Corporation chiefs revealed that there were more ‘live’ cases now than in the last three years put together.
But they told a parliamentary committee they were not surprised as employees had been ‘reminded’ of the complaints procedures in light of the widespread allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding Weinstein.
Deputy director-general Anne Bulford said: ‘You perhaps won’t be surprised to know we have a spike at present. We have more cases at present than we have seen over the last three years.
‘We have 25 live [sexual harassment] cases at the moment, which is a range of different issues coming through.
‘I think we have to deal with the cases as they come up and continue to encourage people to speak. And whether they are current or whether they are historic in relation to sexual harassment, the important thing is that people come forward.’
Last year, only three of the 41 complaints about bullying and harassment within the BBC related to sexual harassment, and between April 2013 and April this year, only eight such claims were made. However, in the last seven months more than three times that many have made allegations of sexual harassment. Miss Bulford added: ‘After the Weinstein material was published, we reminded people again of the procedures. ‘
‘We have specialist people on staff to support people who come forward, in investigations or advising them of the options.
‘ People feel more confident about what they can do, where they can go and where the helplines are.’
Later, when Labour MP Christian Matheson asked if members of BBC staff could go directly to the board, new chairman Sir David Clementi said: ‘We have a well- documented process by which people can complain or lodge concerns internally … the board oversees that.’
However, he added: ‘I suppose it is open to any member of staff to write to a member of the board. It would be an odd thing to do if they have not been through the proper procedures of talking to their line managers first. So far no issue has come directly to the board other than the ones we have talked about like gender pay issues ... I would expect most of the individual issues, unless they were extraordinary issues, as was the case with Savile or that sort of thing, to be dealt with through the line managers.’
Miss Bulford and director-general Tony Hall confirmed that non- executive board member Tom Ilube, a technology entrepreneur, was responsible for overseeing such complaints.
When asked if any complaints had been made in this way, Miss Bulford said: ‘I am aware of one or two cases which have gone through for Mr Ilube to consider.’
The BBC is currently investigating one of its own radio presenters for sexual harassment after he allegedly groped a string of female colleagues. But Lord Hall insisted there is a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy to any form of bullying and harassment.
During the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee meeting, he also discussed the reaction to the disclosure of talent pay above £150,000.
He said that ‘when we think someone is underpaid, we will correct that… But also, if we think somebody is overpaid, we need to correct that too.’
Asked by the committee’s chairman Damian Collins whether that meant ‘deflationary pressure’ on the salaries of top- earning men, he replied: ‘That is exactly right’.
‘Encourage people to speak’