Freedom to Care Return to INDEX
December 2002
Dignity at Work Bill
Freedom to Care has given it support to the campaign for a Dignity at Work Act.
The Amicus (previously MSF union) Campaign Against Bullying at Work and Valerie Davey MP held a meeting with Members of Parliament on Monday 5th November Amicus. This was attended by about 100 people including Tim Field and Andy Thomas (a past and present director of FtC).
The Dignity at work bill provides for a right of dignity at work for employees; freedom from bullying, harassment, victimisation, discrimination, intimidation, unjustified criticism, and distress, such as is often suffered by whistleblowers.
The Dignity at Work Bill was put together by the MSF Union in 1997. Lord Monkswell steered the Bill through the House of Lords in December 1997 and January 1998. Attempts to introduce the Bill into the House of Commons was blocked by John Major's Conservative government in February 1997. Shortly afterwards a general election was announced and the Dignity At Work Bill was put on hold. The Bill started its progress again through the House of Lords in December 2001 under the guidance of Baroness Ann Gibson.
The Bill was not enacted and no comparable legislation has been enacted up to 2007.
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The first two sections of The Bill read as follows:
1. Right to dignity at work
1. (1) Every employee shall have a right to dignity at work and if the terms of the contract under which a person is employed do not include that right they shall be deemed to include it. (2) Subject to section 5 of this Act, an employer commits a breach of the right to dignity at work of an employee if that employee suffers during his employment with the employer harassment or bullying or any act, omission or conduct which causes him to be alarmed or distressed including but not limited to any of the following - (a) behaviour on more than one occasion which is offensive, abusive, malicious, insulting or intimidating; (b) unjustified criticism on more than one occasion; (c) punishment imposed without reasonable justification, or (d) changes in the duties or responsibilities of the employee to the employee's detriment without reasonable justification.
2. Victimisation
An employer commits a breach of the right to dignity at work of an employee if he treats that employee less favourably than he would treat other persons and does so by reason that the employee has - (a) brought proceedings under this Act against the employer or any other person; (b) given evidence or information in connection with proceedings brought by any person under this Act against the employer or any other person; (c) otherwise done anything under or by reference to this Act in relation to the employer or any other person; (d) alleged that the employer or any other person has committed an act which(whether or not the allegation so states) would give rise to a claim under this Act, or by reason that the employer knows or suspects that the employee has done or intends to do any of those things.
To read the entire Bill go to this page on Tim Field’s anti-bullying site: http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/action/dignity.htm
At its AGM on 23rd November 2002 FtC’s membership carried the following resolution nem. con:
“FTC supports Amicus in its efforts to effect the passage of the Dignity at Work bill through parliament and to see it become law.”
FtC encourages everyone to write a short letter to their MP urging him/her to support the Dignity at Work Bill.