The 21 Group was founded at the University of Cambridge in 2023 in order to provide a network and support group for staff experiencing bullying, harassment and discrimination in their academic careers.

Our name derives from the fact that in a staff survey, 21% of employees at the University of Cambridge reported that they had been subjected to bullying or harassment in the workplace. Yet despite having more than 1 in 5 staff being affected by misconduct, there was no network for staff to share their experiences and coordinate against employer misbehaviour.

At the same time, more than half of those who experienced such behaviour also said they did not report the incidents, with many believing that nothing would be done, or that they would face retaliation.

Every employee in a UK university deserves to work in an environment that promotes respect, dignity, safety, and equality.

The 21 Group exists to offer peer-to-peer support for staff in UK universities who are experiencing bullying, victimisation, and harassment in the workplace. Our goal is to provide informal advice, share experiences, and offer psychological support to those experiencing mistreatment in their roles.

The 21 Group aims to drive change in UK universities. Our goal is to transform the culture of abuse, ensure robust investigation procedures, and implement policies and procedures to eliminate the widespread mistreatment of academic, professional services, fixed-contract and temporary staff.