Bullying and harassment in physics affects us all

03 Feb 2022

Taken from the February 2022 issue of Physics World. Members of the Institute of Physics can enjoy the full issue via the Physics World app.

Marie Hemingway and Mark Geoghegan say that physics can only be more inclusive and welcoming if agreements that stop people speaking out about harassment and bullying in the workplace are banned

Cost of silence Non-disclosure agreements mean that people who harass their colleagues continue their careers and their damaging behaviour. (Courtesy: iStock/jxfzsy)

Do you ever think about the make-up of our workplaces? What makes us effective in our teams? Do you ever wonder what environment creates colleagues that are happier and more productive? Do you ask yourself what changes could be implemented to foster a cheerier workplace? The evidence indicates that some of us, especially those in senior positions, do not think about these questions on a regular basis or perhaps only consider them once problems arise. Yet it is important to know that the implication of not contemplating whether the workplace is a welcoming and safe environment can have long-lasting consequences.

Many of us will have seen disillusioned colleagues being treated badly. Ongoing research by the Speak Out Revolution – an award-winning non-profit organization that aims to cancel the culture of silence on workplace harassment and bullying – found in 2021 that over 80% of those who have been bullied or harassed at work want to leave their organization, with a similar percentage experiencing mental health issues. They also found that 1 in 5 do not report harassment, mostly for fear of being labelled “over-sensitive” or because they expect that no action will be taken. Reports show that while more than a third of people formally report to their organizations, over a quarter are silenced with a so-called non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Only 4% feel they have fully resolved the situation after issuing a complaint.

It is easy to get lost in statistics, but the impact of harassment and bullying in the workplace can cause life-lasting damage. Take the story of Julie (not her real name). She is a physicist who worked in a physics-based company with a training scheme accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP). Julie, however, ended up working in an environment with colleagues who belittled and undermined her. They disregarded her opinion in team meetings, with newer team members taking credit for her work. Julie was further excluded from meetings and technical conversations. Instead, she was given additional administrative tasks as a pre-requisite to involvement with the scientific work of the team.

It is easy to make someone know that they are not wanted, but the intention to do so is remarkably hard to prove. After Julie raised a grievance, an investigation ensued. But it took almost a year to begin, during which time she was expected to work with colleagues who knew about – and indeed were implicated in – her complaint. Julie was not only sidelined, but other team members and senior scientists who supported Julie were also targeted. Even today, their own progress in the company remains jeopardized.

Julie was unable to take up prestigious conference invitations due to the presence of people connected with the grievance and was also denied important training opportunities. Julie also reported sexual assaults by a colleague that provided a motivation for the bullying. But because disclosing such experiences is never easy, she reported them after the grievance. Julie was told that this complaint was made too late to take further. Managers at the company had effectively put a time limit after which sexual assault cannot be reported.

Julie left the company claiming constructive dismissal before finally signing an NDA to draw a line under the misery she had experienced over three years. But it wasn’t just her professional life that suffered. Her personal life fell apart too as her long-term relationship collapsed. She had to take time off work to deal with the stress and now no longer works in physics – all because it was easier to dehumanize and gaslight her than it was to address major problems in the workplace. Of course, this is only one case and one side of the story. But given the NDA, those responsible will never be named, merely promoted. And yes, one of those whom Julie named has moved up in the organization. The others are still there. And this story is not unusual – much wrongdoing across industry and academia remains secret through the use of NDAs.

The future for physics

With responsibility comes accountability, but too many organizations are avoiding it via NDAs. Maria Miller, the MP for Basingstoke, recognizes the problem and has proposed to ban NDAs in workplace disputes. The success of her bill, which will have its second reading in the UK parliament in the coming months, is necessary. But what can be done now so that those like Julie stay happy in the job that they love? We should not accept non-inclusive behaviours, which drive out diversity and ideas to instead foster groupthink.

It is important that we all use our influence to address bullying. Given that the IOP accredits training programmes at more than 20 companies and the degree programmes of virtually all universities offering physics courses in the UK and Ireland, maybe we can link accreditation to policies that are shown to address issues such as bullying? The same applies to other learned societies too, so perhaps we could work together to find a solution across engineering, education and healthcare?

Learned societies represent members and have a role to play in ensuring that our interests are promoted, but it requires all of us to contribute to make improvements either through the IOP or in our own workplace.

Julie could have been any of us, so this affects us all.

Speak Out Revolution is the data partner for the Can’t Buy My Silence campaign that is working to ban the misuse of NDAs. You can anonymously share your experience of bullying and harassment to support this work by completing this online survey

Marie Hemingway is a physicist and chief technology officer for Speak Out Revolution, e-mail marie@speakoutrevolution.co.uk. Mark Geoghegan is Roland Cookson Professor of Engineering Materials at Newcastle University, UK, e-mail mark.geoghegan@newcastle.ac.uk

from physicsworld.com     4/2/2022