Tag: harrassment

‘Deep concern’ over bullying and harrassment at Holyrood

The findings of a Dignity at Work survey conducted by the Scottish Parliament have been published.

All staff who work for MSPs, or for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), were invited to take part in the survey under the SPCB’s ‘Inclusive Parliament’ review.

The review takes account of forthcoming changes in employment law arising from the Employment Act 2025.  

The Act will bring in stronger whistleblowing protections and a duty for all employers – including MSPs in that capacity – to take proactive, preventative steps to stop harassment, including third-party harassment.

The survey asked all staff for their views and experience of working at Holyrood and in constituency offices, including whether they had confidence in the Parliament’s current procedures for reporting inappropriate behaviour.

The findings from the survey and its accompanying report have been communicated jointly by the Parliament’s Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone MSP and Clerk / Chief Executive of the Parliament David McGill.

Writing to all MSPs and staff they said many staff work in positive, supportive environments, but they were both “deeply concerned” by new findings on bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.

The review also identified areas where the Parliament’s systems and culture must improve.

The full text of the joint message is published below along with the SPCB’s report:

Dear colleagues

Inclusive Parliament Review: Dignity at Work survey findings and report

Reason for the Review

In June 2025 we commissioned a review of our Dignity at Work policies and systems. This was to help ensure the SPCB and MSPs, as employers, were prepared for the forthcoming changes in employment law arising from the Employment Act 2025. These changes bring in stronger whistleblowing protections and a duty to take proactive, preventative steps to stop harassment, including third-party harassment.

This means not only responding when concerns are raised but creating the right conditions so that harassment is less likely to happen in the first place, helping everyone feel safe, respected and supported.

As part of the review, we asked all staff who work for MSPs and the SPCB to take part in our Dignity at Work survey. While SPCB staff are surveyed regularly, this is the first report since 2018 that has included feedback from a survey of MSP staff.

We also consulted with staff, trade unions, staff forums, external equalities groups and MSPs and undertook a benchmarking exercise looking at the approach taken in other parliaments, including the Senedd Cymru which has just completed a similar exercise.

In addition, our Independent Support and Advocacy Service invited people to give feedback on their experiences. The results from the survey and associated work have been published [here] today.

Main Findings

Many teams across Parliament demonstrate positive and supportive working cultures, and the vast majority of Members, managers and staff uphold the standards of dignity, courtesy and respect that the public rightly expect.

However, the review also identifies areas where our systems and culture must improve. Fragmented reporting routes, barriers to speaking up and low confidence in existing processes undermine our commitment to a safe and respectful workplace.

We are deeply concerned by the findings on bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. These incidents during this session only came to light through this review, making it clear that some colleagues did not previously feel safe or confident to share their experiences.

Our foremost concern is for those affected. Coming forward is never easy, and we are grateful to everyone who took part in this review. Anyone who raises concerns must be supported and assured that their concerns will be handled with independence, expertise and empathy. There can, and must, be zero tolerance of inappropriate behaviour.

It is important to stress that most Members, managers and staff will not recognise themselves in these findings. The clear majority conduct themselves in a way that reflects the standards of this Parliament and the expectations of the public. Nevertheless, the issues identified show that our systems and culture are not yet providing the safety, trust and consistency that everyone should be able to rely on. That must change.

To build an environment where people feel safe to speak up, and confident that concerns will be handled fairly and consistently, we must learn from these findings and ensure the necessary reforms are taken forward swiftly, transparently and with care.

Next Steps

The SPCB considered the report earlier today and gave its full support to the recommendations. It wished to place on record its thanks to the staff and external expert providers who took forward the review.

We will update you on the implementation of these recommendations over the weeks ahead. While some of the actions can, and will, be implemented swiftly, others will necessarily take a little more time. However, we will make the most of the momentum that this comprehensive report has provided.

Once again, we would like to thank all those who took part in this review.

Yours sincerely,

David McGill
Clerk/Chief Executive
Chair, Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP
Presiding Officer

Inclusive Parliament ReviewDownload

#RespectHerSpace launched at City Chambers

A new public campaign titled #RespectHerSpace was launched yesterday (November 20) at the City Chambers.

This approach was produced by the City of Edinburgh Council alongside partners, Police Scotland, NHS Lothian, the University of Edinburgh, and Edinburgh Napier University. It was also supported by the Women’s Safety in Public Places Community Improvement Partnership and the Equally Safe Edinburgh Committee. 

The launch follows two Women’s Safety in Public Places consultations held between June 2022 and March 2023. The analysis of consultation responses found between 73.9% and 80.5% of women reported having experienced harassment, abuse, or violence while in a public space in Edinburgh.

Following extensive discussions with key campaign stakeholders, the ‘her’ pronoun was chosen for the campaign title to represent all women and girls.

It comes as evidence suggests that women and girls experience disproportionate levels of harassment in public places compared with men. This restricts their ability to freely participate in school, work, and public life due to concerns for personal safety, directly impacting their health and wellbeing.

The consultations detailed key recommendations to tackle this inequity, including a campaign targeted at men to address their behaviours and attitudes towards women in public places.

The campaign will not target criminality, but instead encourage men to make small changes to their behaviour to make people, especially women and girls, feel safer in Edinburgh.

Small changes, such as crossing the road instead of walking directly behind someone or making a phone call, are intended to reassure women and girls who may otherwise feel unsafe while in a public place. The campaign will be positive and will not alienate or blame men, rather it’ll encourage men to reflect on their behaviour.

This campaign is part of a wider body of work committed to enhancing safety in the Capital. Key examples of these include £500,000 of funding for parks and open space lighting and a new state of the art City Operations Centre with an enhanced focus on CCTV and public safety and security.

The #RespectHerSpace campaign runs from 20 November 2023 for at least three weeks and will be seen across television, digital, and outdoor advertising.

The campaign video and interviews with the actors are available on our YouTube channel.

Depute Council Leader, Councillor Mandy Watt said: “It’s so important that everyone feels safe whilst out and about in Edinburgh. Women and girls are often excluded from full and meaningful inclusion in public spaces due to worries about their safety, but men can be fundamental in changing this.

“We are asking men to make small but significant changes to their behaviour to make sure women and girls feel safe when accessing our public spaces.

“I’d encourage people to engage with this campaign and use it as an opportunity to have these important conversations with male family members, friends, and colleagues.

“We’re committed to making Edinburgh as safe, secure, and inclusive city as possible. Alongside our wider work, this campaign represents an important step in this process.”

DCI Adam Brown of Edinburgh’s Public Protection unit welcomed the campaign: “Improving the wellbeing of our communities is a key purpose of policing and I fully support this campaign, which demonstrates that small and considerate changes in our behaviour can make a difference in promoting feelings of safety and helping everybody to enjoy use of our public spaces equally.

Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS Lothian welcomes the #RespectHerSpace campaign.  Research clearly demonstrates the issues faced by women and girls who report negative experiences whilst in a public space. These experiences can cause anxiety and distress, which contributes to poorer health and wellbeing.  

“Increasing awareness of these issues, and of the small changes that can make a big difference, is a powerful tool towards enabling women and girls to feel safer when they are in public spaces across our city.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe and we would encourage people to engage with this campaign and take action to support women and girls to achieve that right.”

Carolann Begbie, Director of People & Services at Edinburgh Napier University said: “We strive to make Edinburgh Napier a safe place for everyone, and this campaign underlines that effort.

“Sadly, harassment and gender-based violence are problems which affect all aspects of society. We want to ensure that it’s not a part of university life.

“#RespectHerSpace demonstrates that small changes can have a significant impact on helping our city become a more inclusive place to study, work and live.”