‘Powerful individuals’ at BBC making lives of colleagues ‘unbearable’

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“Powerful individuals” at the BBC are making the lives of their colleagues “unbearable”, the corporation’s chairman has said, after a review into its workplace culture.

The independent report, sparked by the Huw Edwards scandal, was carried out by Change Associates, the same management consultancy that led a similar review in 2013, following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

BBC chairman Samir Shah told staff ahead of the report’s release on Monday morning: “There is a minority of people whose behaviour is simply not acceptable. And there are still places where powerful individuals – on and off screen – can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable.”

He said the report made recommendations to “prioritise action over procedural change”, as well as addressing “deep-seated issues: for example, the need to make sure everyone can feel confident and not cowed about speaking up”.

He added: “In the end, it’s quite simple: if you are a person who is prepared to abuse power or punch down or behave badly, there is no place for you at the BBC.”

The review, which heard from around 2,500 employees and freelancers, found that there were “a minority of people who behave unacceptably and whose behaviour is not addressed”.

The report recommended the corporation take quicker action when staff step out of line, as well as intervening earlier and being clearer on the standards of behaviour expected from staff.

The BBC has been under pressure to act after a string of complaints against some of its top talent over the last 12 months.

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