The findings of ITV's investigation, published yesterday (3 April), revealed that one in five employees of Scotland’s fire and rescue service had been a victim of, or had witnessed, inappropriate behaviour.
ITV researchers also claim to have uncovered a series of worsening concerns around discrimination and harassment.
According to the broadcaster's investigators, multiple frontline firefighters and staff raised concerns internally, either through formal grievance procedures or informally notifying managers.
HR leaders can start by setting a clear, respectful tone from the top, according to founder of HR consultancy HR Star, Kelly Tucker.
She told HR magazine: “HR leaders need to work closely with senior leadership to set a clear tone, modelling respectful behaviour that guides the rest of an organisation. A strong anti-bullying culture goes beyond policy – it’s about embedding core values like respect and inclusivity into everyday behaviours and performance expectations.
“Leadership must continuously demonstrate their commitment to these values, ensuring they are consistently reinforced across all levels."
Read more: Calling it out: why bystanders are key to creating an anti-bullying culture
Nahla Bou-Diab, CEO of banking business AmBank, echoed this, telling HR magazine: “Leadership needs to begin by defining the culture characteristics that will protect their organisation from bullying. This is as important as defining their strategy.
"At a minimum, empathy and compassion would be important characteristics to embed into the organisational system.
“Defined characteristics need to become the foundation of all HR processes, and these processes, i.e. recruiting processes, must evolve to support the culture.”
But HR professionals can’t combat workplace bullying alone, explained Nairy McMahon, founder of business consultancy, Radial Change.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “External support is critical. Independent specialists can hold space for the discomfort, anger and disappointment that arises from systemic issues like harassment and discrimination, while helping teams build trust, clarity and accountability.”
Three staff members at the Scottish fire and rescue service – a former senior officer, a current employee and a former staff member – all claimed that their workplace was toxic, according to ITV News representatives.
ITV also obtained the service's internal staff surveys through a freedom of information request, finding that 21% of employees “have personally experienced or observed discrimination, bullying and/or harassment in the workplace over the last 12 months”. Of those, fewer than half (45%) reported the behaviour internally.
Read more: New EHRC guidance for employers on preventing sexual harassment
A current staff member of the service told ITV: “Management comes together to protect themselves at all costs, but ordinary workers are continually thrown under the bus.”
To make sure that anti-bullying policies filter down to all employees, HR leaders should facilitate training and awareness campaigns, stated Gerard O’Hare, legal director for Scotland at employment law and HR consultancy WorkNest.
He told HR magazine: “Ensure that anti-bullying policy is contained in the employee handbook, and that during employee onboarding new hires are introduced to the policy.
“Greater filtration can also be achieved through training and awareness campaigns. HR can provide mandatory training sessions for all employees. These sessions should be carried out regularly (yearly) and should include real-world scenarios to help improve understanding.”
O’Hare added that HR leaders should regularly remind employees about anti-bullying policies. He said: “Employees have a knack of forgetting about this sort of thing, so HR can send periodic reminders about the policy and reporting channels via emails, posters or intranet updates. This will help keep the issue top of the mind for employees.”
Tina Benson, founder of team building events provider Team Tactics, suggested cross-departmental collaboration as a useful tool to combat toxic culture.
She told HR magazine: “Cross-departmental mixing can be impactful. Encourage collaboration across departments, and team building, to counter toxicity and silos, and break down barriers to create a more open, inclusive culture. This should start at the top. When leaders encourage and engage with collaborative activities or team building, it signals inclusivity and respect, and sets the tone for the rest of the organisation."
The Scottish fire and rescue service was contacted for comment.
Stuart Stevens, chief officer at the service, said: “One of my top priorities is to improve the culture and leadership within the service. We are committed to creating a workplace where all staff are treated with dignity and respect. We have developed an action plan with colleagues and trade union representatives and considered sector-wide lessons learned.
"We undertook an employee survey last year to understand more about their experiences of working here. Almost one in three colleagues participated and we are using that information to make improvements.
"We are co-operating fully with HM Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland on its inspection on our culture, and we will act on any recommendations brought forward.
"A confidential service has been launched that enables staff to anonymously report concerns freely and without fear. Any form of bullying, harassment and discrimination is not tolerated and action is taken where issues are reported."
