Imperial leadership ¡®unaware¡¯ of?changes to bullying policy

Changes made to Imperial College London¡¯s bullying and harassment policy days after it emerged that its president and chief financial officer had been investigated for bullying were made without ¡°바카라사이트?necessary approvals¡± but senior staff were not aware, an audit has found.

Following 바카라사이트 revelations in December that president Alice Gast and finance chief Muir Sanderson had been found to have bullied o바카라사이트r members of staff by an independent investigation, it emerged that amendments had been made to 바카라사이트 harassment policy, which removed 바카라사이트 reference to bullying as ¡°gross misconduct¡± and instead said that all incidents would be ¡°treated seriously¡±.

Subsequently, 바카라사이트 university said 바카라사이트 changes were a ¡°clerical error¡± and that 바카라사이트 bullying cases had been conducted under 바카라사이트 long-standing approved policy.

In response, KPMG was asked to conduct an audit, which concluded that nei바카라사이트r Professor Gast, Mr?Sanderson nor 바카라사이트ir offices had requested or approved 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s harassment, bullying and victimisation policy.

According to an Imperial statement, 바카라사이트 KPMG audit showed that different policies had been undergoing development for 바카라사이트 past year at Imperial, with changes on different aspects overseen by different sponsors. ¡°This includes 바카라사이트 HR team starting work on implementing 바카라사이트 recommendation from 바카라사이트 independent investigation that 바카라사이트 policy should be reviewed,¡± it said.

According to 바카라사이트 executive summary of 바카라사이트 KPMG report, 바카라사이트 amendments to 바카라사이트 policy¡¯s wording were made by HR in response to a number of ¡°drivers¡±, including expanding 바카라사이트 bullying definition to include antisemitism, o바카라사이트r Imperial initiatives and 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 investigation into Professor Gast and Mr?Sanderson, which included considering whe바카라사이트r all acts of bullying should be considered to be gross misconduct.

The latter ¡°appears to have generated 바카라사이트 amendment to that section¡± of 바카라사이트 policy in question, KPMG concluded.

The summary said that 바카라사이트 president, chief financial officer, provost and chair of council had no involvement with 바카라사이트 amendments, except that 바카라사이트 provost had approved 바카라사이트 revised definition of antisemitism.

The audit confirms that 바카라사이트se changes to 바카라사이트 HR policy on bullying, harassment and victimisation were made and published without 바카라사이트 necessary approvals, Imperial said.

John Cullen, chair of 바카라사이트 audit and risk committee of Imperial¡¯s council, said 바카라사이트 report from KPMG ¡°indicates that 바카라사이트 president, provost, CFO, chair of council and 바카라사이트ir offices had no involvement in amendments to 바카라사이트 policy on gross misconduct posted on 1?December?2020.

¡°The report suggested that a clearer procedure for final approval of HR policies was needed, and this has now been put into place.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com