Film and TV Charity encourages employers to ‘Listen, Acknowledge, Act’ to tackle bullying & harassment

The Film and TV Charity has responded to data from its most recent Looking Glass survey, which highlighted that nearly half of managers who had dealt with complaints of bullying didn’t feel appropriately skilled to do so, with the development of new guidance and resources to support them.

Listen, Acknowledge, Act – Bullying Support for Employers complements the Charity’s existing Bullying Advice Service for individuals experiencing bullying. The new guidance provides managers with the advice and skills needed to deal with incidences of bullying and harassment, in turn giving employees the confidence that their complaints will be heard and managed appropriately:

The guidance and resources are broken down into three distinct sections, informed by collaboration with HR and legal advisers as well as mental health, and industry experts:

• Listen: practical advice about Active Listening and the provision of meaningful support
• Acknowledge: how bystanders and managers can create an anti-bullying culture in the workplace and ensure people feel heard
• Act: guidance around the appropriate course of action for employers, according to the perceived level of risk

The Listen, Acknowledge, Act guidance is housed within a new dedicated section of the Charity’s website titled, Support for Employers. Aimed at providing support for HR leads and Line Managers, Support for Employers will also contain the Charity’s mental health resource for production, The Whole Picture Toolkit and a brand-new Mental Health and Wellbeing Directory, with further advice and signposting to relevant external industry bodies and organisations.

Justine Walton, Bullying Service Adviser said “Bullying, and the workplace culture that too often enables it, is still far too prevalent across the industry and our research shows that too many managers and people in positions of authority feel ill-equipped to navigate what can often be incredibly complex issues. Advocating a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment is critical, and we hope that ‘Listen, Acknowledge, Act’ encapsulates the practical steps managers can apply, offering them a collaborative and solutions-driven way of navigating and addressing areas of conflict. Bullying and harassment are insidious attacks on the wellbeing of people working in film and TV, but the determination to change the narrative is clear and these steps are an important part of the solution.”

To launch the ‘Listen, Acknowledge, Act’ guidance, targeted content and ads across LinkedIn and Twitter will support a round of industry engagement and outreach that focuses on the Charity’s Mental Health Taskforce as well as other key stakeholders and industry bodies. The campaign will also pre-empt a series of discursive videos featuring managers, senior leaders, including Patrick Holland, CEO of Banijay UK, Emma Butt, Freelance Dubbing Mixer and Faraz Osman, Managing Director at Gold Wala, and other industry figures who have taken part in a series of roundtable discussions to flag many of the issues ‘Listen, Acknowledge, Act’ seeks to address.

Meanwhile, the Charity’s existing Bullying Advice Service will continue to support individuals experiencing bullying, harassment, or discrimination, all of whom can access confidential, one-on-one appointments with Bullying Adviser, Justine Walton, to discuss their options and consider next steps. Appointments can be made through the Film and TV Support Line or by clicking here. Additional advice and resources can also be found here, including tailored signposting to industry bodies and other sources of support.