If you work for the BBC and feel you are being bullied, harassed or pushed out – or you have been offered a settlement agreement – it can be hard to know how much power you really have.
This guide is for BBC staff and long‑term freelancers in England and Wales, UK who are dealing with:
Bullying or undermining behaviour by managers or colleagues.
Harassment related to protected characteristics (such as race, sex or disability).
A workplace culture that makes it hard to raise concerns safely.
Settlement agreements and so‑called non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs) offered to resolve disputes.
It explains, in accessible language:
How the law and BBC policy define bullying and harassment.
What BBC culture reviews and staff surveys say about behaviour and complaints.
The difference between grievances, dignity‑at‑work procedures and whistleblowing.
What NDAs and settlement agreements can and cannot do.
It is not individual legal advice, but it should help you decide what to do next and what to ask for if you seek specialist help.
Table of contents
When ''it is just how things are here'' crosses a line
Harassment, discrimination and the Equality Act 2010
What internal reviews and staff feedback say about BBC culture
Routes to raise concerns: grievance, dignity at work and whistleblowing
Legal protections when you speak up
Settlement agreements, NDAs and what you can still talk about
Practical steps if you are being targeted or considering a deal
Using Caira to organise evidence, policies and agreements
Review checks for this article and meta information
1. When ''it is just how things are here'' crosses a line
Broadcasting is known for high‑pressure environments and strong personalities, but there is a clear line between robust management and bullying or harassment. The BBC’s Respect at Work policy (July 2025) sets out zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and requires managers to act on concerns promptly.
Warning signs include:
Being shouted at, belittled or humiliated in front of colleagues.
Having your work or contributions regularly dismissed or undermined without constructive feedback.
Being excluded from meetings, WhatsApp groups or opportunities for reasons that do not make sense.
Feeling that you are being set up to fail – for example, impossible deadlines or targets given to you but not others.
Repeated or serious breaches (such as humiliation, exclusion, intimidation) are disciplinary offences under BBC policy. Over time, these experiences can affect your sleep, confidence and mental health. You may start to doubt your own judgment, especially if others tell you to toughen up or insist that ''everyone gets treated like that''. Keep a contemporaneous diary of incidents—dates, times, what was said, and who was present—as this is often vital evidence.
Employment law recognises that some behaviour is simply unacceptable, even in demanding industries. The challenge is working out which rules apply, and how to use them without making things worse.
2. Harassment, discrimination and the Equality Act 2010
Under the Equality Act 2010, harassment occurs where both of the following are true:
There is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic (such as age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation).
The conduct has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
Examples in a BBC context:
Comments or jokes about someone’s race, accent or religion.
Repeated remarks about a colleague’s appearance, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Mocking or minimising a person’s disability or need for adjustments.
Sexual advances or innuendo in a way that makes someone feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Harassment does not have to involve shouting or threats. A pattern of snide remarks, exclusion or undermining, where linked to a protected characteristic, can also qualify. Discrimination can also occur where you are treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic, or where a seemingly neutral policy or practice puts a group (for example, women, Black staff or disabled staff) at a particular disadvantage, and that disadvantage is not justified.
BBC policy requires all staff to complete training on dignity at work and equality, and failure to do so may be relevant in a complaint. Understanding whether what you are facing is likely to fall under the Equality Act is crucial, because discrimination and harassment claims often have stronger legal protections and longer‑term consequences for the organisation if mishandled.
3. What internal reviews and staff feedback say about BBC culture
Recent workplace‑culture reviews and staff surveys have painted a mixed picture of life inside the BBC:
Many staff report supportive teams and managers, good development opportunities and pride in public‑service work.
Others describe pockets where bullying, undermining and fear of speaking up are common.
Common themes include:
Low confidence in how bullying and harassment complaints are handled.
Concerns that high‑profile or well‑connected individuals are protected.
Anxiety about being labelled ''difficult'' or seeing careers stall after raising issues.
From a legal standpoint, these reviews do not decide individual cases. However, they are relevant context when assessing whether the BBC has taken reasonable steps to prevent discriminatory or harassing behaviour, and how credible it is when it says that certain conduct is not tolerated. Use these reviews to support your own case, but always focus on specific evidence about your situation.
4. Routes to raise concerns: grievance, dignity at work and whistleblowing
If you want to challenge behaviour, there are several overlapping processes:
Informal resolution
Speaking directly to the person involved (if safe) or to a line manager.
Sometimes appropriate for one‑off incidents or misunderstandings.
Formal grievance or dignity‑at‑work complaint
Triggered by submitting a written complaint under BBC HR policies.
Typically used for persistent bullying, victimisation or discrimination.
Should lead to an investigation and, if upheld, action against those responsible.
BBC policy requires complaints to be made within 21 days of the incident (with possible extensions).
Whistleblowing
Raising concerns about serious wrongdoing in the public interest – for example, unsafe practices, financial misconduct or systemic discrimination.
May involve dedicated whistleblowing channels, hotlines or external regulators.
Whistleblowing channels are confidential and can be used for serious wrongdoing, including systemic discrimination.
Union or staff‑association support
Many BBC workers are members of unions or professional bodies.
Reps can help you frame complaints, attend meetings and challenge process failures.
Choosing the right route depends on the nature and severity of what you are experiencing, your personal safety and mental health, and whether you want to stay and improve things, or are leaning towards leaving with some form of redress. In practice, people often start informally, then move to grievances and, in serious cases, to whistleblowing or external legal action.
5. Legal protections when you speak up
Speaking up should not cost you your career, but many people fear exactly that. The law does offer some protection.
Two important concepts are:
Victimisation
Under the Equality Act, it is unlawful to subject someone to a detriment because they have done a ''protected act'' – for example, complaining about discrimination or supporting someone else’s complaint.
Detriment can include being sidelined, denied opportunities or treated worse than before.
BBC policy prohibits retaliation against anyone raising a dignity-at-work or whistleblowing complaint.
Whistleblowing protection
Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, workers (and some other categories) are protected if they make a protected disclosure about certain types of wrongdoing in the public interest.
If you qualify, your employer must not dismiss you or subject you to a detriment because you blew the whistle.
To benefit from these protections, it helps if your concerns are raised in a way that clearly links them to discrimination or harassment under the Equality Act, and/or public‑interest wrongdoing covered by whistleblowing law. You do not need perfect legal language, but being explicit that you believe conduct is discriminatory, harassing or unsafe is usually better than vague references to ''not getting on''.
6. Settlement agreements, NDAs and what you can still talk about
Where disputes escalate, the BBC (or associated employers) may propose a settlement agreement. This is a legally binding contract where you normally:
Receive a payment and possibly a reference or other terms.
Agree to waive potential claims arising from your employment or engagement.
Such agreements often contain confidentiality and non‑disparagement clauses. In public debate, these are often called NDAs or gagging clauses.
Key points:
Since 2013, the BBC has said that its settlement agreements do not contain clauses preventing people from making lawful disclosures, such as whistleblowing or reporting crime.
In law, agreements cannot stop you from:
Reporting criminal offences to the police.
Making protected disclosures under whistleblowing law.
Talking to medical or therapeutic professionals.
Consulting legal advisers or, in most cases, close family.
However, agreements can legitimately:
Restrict you from sharing specific details of a dispute publicly.
Prevent you from making defamatory statements about the organisation or individuals.
Require you to keep the amount and terms of the settlement confidential, subject to limited exceptions.
Before signing any settlement agreement, you must, by law, receive independent legal advice. Use that opportunity to:
Check which claims you are giving up.
Clarify exactly what you can still talk about and to whom.
Challenge clauses that feel unnecessarily broad.
7. Practical steps if you are being targeted or considering a deal
Whatever route you take, a structured approach can make a painful situation more manageable.
Keep a detailed record
Note dates, times and locations of key incidents.
Record who was present and what was said or done.
Keep copies of emails, messages, rotas or documents that support your account.
Keep a log of all communications and meeting notes.
Look after your health and safety
Speak to your GP, occupational health or a mental‑health professional if needed.
Consider whether temporary adjustments or time off are necessary.
Get support from a union or trusted colleague
Do not go through the process alone if you can avoid it.
BBC policy allows staff to be accompanied at formal meetings by a union rep or colleague.
Frame your concerns clearly in writing
Explain why you believe behaviour is bullying, harassment or discrimination.
Refer to relevant BBC policies and, where appropriate, the Equality Act.
Approach settlement offers cautiously
Consider whether you are being pushed towards a deal instead of a fair investigation.
Take full advantage of the independent legal advice that must be offered.
Think about your long‑term career, not just immediate relief.
Watch the clock on legal time limits
Discrimination and unfair‑dismissal claims have strict time limits, usually measured in months.
Contacting ACAS Early Conciliation in time is essential if you might bring a claim.
8. Using Caira to organise evidence, policies and agreements
When you are exhausted or frightened, organising paperwork can feel impossible. A focused tool can help you see patterns and prepare for conversations.
Caira is an AI‑powered, privacy‑first legal assistant for people dealing with law and procedure in England and Wales, UK. It can help you:
Upload bullying and harassment emails, diary notes, HR policies, occupational‑health reports, grievance responses and draft settlement agreements as PDFs, Word documents or images.
Ask questions such as:
''Which clauses in this agreement affect what I can say publicly?''
''Does this behaviour look like harassment under the Equality Act?''
''What steps does this policy say managers should take, and have they been followed?''
Generate draft grievances, witness statements, questions for HR, or checklists for meetings with your solicitor or union rep.
Ask Caira to compare two versions of a settlement agreement or policy, highlighting changes that affect your rights.
Caira can highlight differences between policy versions or settlement agreements, which is useful if you are being offered a new deal. Caira’s privacy-first approach means your documents are not shared or used to train public AI models.
You can try Caira with a 14‑day free trial that takes under a minute to start and does not require a credit card. After that it is an affordable subscription, around £15/month, available 24/7 on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or medical advice.
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