Trethowans Employment Law: Prime Minister Gordon Brown Accused of 'Bullying' Staff
23 February 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is at the centre of a bullying storm, after it emerged that a number of his staff had called an "anti-bullying" hotline.
Christine Pratt, chief executive of the National Bullying Helpline, claims her charity has received "three or four calls" from Downing Street in recent years.
The charity’s patron, Professor Cary Cooper, resigned from his position on Monday morning, claiming Pratt’s revelations had breached confidentiality. An expert on workplace stress, Prof Cooper told the BBC that he was "really upset" by the situation, and that revealing this information was "wholly inappropriate".
He said: "As a helpline or counselling service you never, ever reveal anything to do with when a client calls you in any way."
The revelation comes as a new book by the Observer’s chief political commentator Andrew Rawnsley, which is being serialised in the paper this week, claims Gordon Brown has been known to intimidate members of his staff with his abusive outbursts.
A Downing Street spokesman has described the allegations as "malicious" and "totally without foundation".
Commenting on this, Jon Loney, Partner and Head of Employment said; "Whether or not the allegations are true employers and managers who bully staff in an age when everyone is aware of their rights make a mistake that they are likely to regret. The short term relief at letting off steam at an employee may well carry a heavy price."
Our credentials include
