{"id":1222,"date":"2024-11-24T18:55:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-24T18:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/?p=1222"},"modified":"2024-11-24T20:38:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T20:38:58","slug":"hannelores-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/?p=1222","title":{"rendered":"Hannelore’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The 21 Group is anxious to publish accounts of bullying in Universities from the viewpoint of their victims. These stories are rarely heard. Too often, we hear the bluffing of the HR Directors that “our University does not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form<\/em>“. Too often, we hear the pleading of the Heads of Department that “our department is known for its friendliness<\/em>“. And we don’t hear from academics who have spent their lives making quiet compromises for the sake of their careers, but know what is really going on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This case involves whistleblowers who acted to save Hannelore. As Wes Streeting MP<\/a> has said, “I think the only way in which we genuinely protect whistleblowers and create a culture of honesty and openness is if you have tough enforcement<\/em>.” This case shows the importance of extending to Universities the Labour Party’s proposed laws to sack those who mistreat whistleblowers in the NHS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have blogged on this matter before in The Bullying of Hannelore<\/a> from the viewpoint of the whistleblower. Hannelore’s own story is here. We will provide further updates as the matter proceeds to a conclusion in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hannelore has been employed by her University for over 10 years on fixed term contracts. She is also an alumna of the University. She works with a large international astronomy collaboration, as their project manager. She supports the research of colleagues in her Department, as well as the coordination of the exams.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years ago, she made a mistake. Hannelore became an active bystander to a colleague (in his absence), when she refuted allegations and insinuations the Head of Department was making about his financial mismanagement. She knew they were untrue.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thereafter, her professional life changed<\/em>. Previously uncomplicated processes were tightened up, layers of control and approval were imposed, responsibilities removed. She was cut out of email communications, two successive applications for promotion were turned down, the locks to an office she could previously access were changed, timesheets were thrown on her office floor. Grant applications became an obstacle course, the Head of Department imposing sole approval rights and driving proposal submissions to the deadline until all of his conditions were met, with new rules and arbitrary policies emerging all the time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unbeknown to her, the Head of Department was also making insinuations about her work, her trustworthiness, her confidentiality and her behaviour. He was eroding her reputation, the professional relationships she had forged with others and slowly also her confidence.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time she reacted to the incidents, things only became worse.<\/em> A confidential report was commissioned into her behaviour. An HR professional concluded that her worries were real to her, \u201cbut imaginary\u201d.<\/em> Gaslighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within days, her Head of Department was busy leaking his \u201dsubstantial concerns\u201d about her mental health which had been highlighted in the recent investigation, and which the Department did not have the means to address<\/em>. Seemingly exonerated, her Head of Department intensified the bullying. Within three weeks of the report, she received an end-of-contract letter. She had been put in the formal process of redundancy. This was while still supporting the Examiners in her department.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannelore was being dismissed from her job. She had guaranteed funding from the European Community to support her for four years. But, it was a fixed term contract, so it still needed final approval from her Head of Department.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, the Head of Department argued \u2026 well, anything really \u2026 so as not to sign. He said that there was no PI to support the project, that there was no space in the Department, that the project was scientifically valueless, that the grant should be transferred to another UK institution, that the Department had no \u201cbandwidth to support a mentally unbalanced woman\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all became too much for her. She was very close to breaking down<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Head of Department was also one of the Examiners. Hannelore used the very little that was left of her resources to make sure the examinations were properly supported. In spite of prospective joblessness. In spite of belittling by the Head of Department\/Examiner. One of the other Examiners saw her distress and blew the whistle on the Head of Department\u2019s aggressive behaviour. The redundancy process was momentarily paused<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, a document was written by two colleagues: a factual description for review by the academic staff of her grant\u2019s approval process. To prevent exposure, the Head of Department gave in to matters being taken out of his hands. The funding was signed off the next day, though not by him<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannelore would have her job, after all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, the Head of Department was furious. He issued not one, not two, but three formal Grievances against each of the Professors who had helped her in her distress. He said he had not been doing any bullying \u2014 it was everyone else who had been bullying him. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Months later, Hannelore can see how the bullying has affected her. When bullying goes on for so long, people modify their behaviour and start to behave oddly. They lose more support. Everybody then thinks that person is odd. But it is because of the bullying.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She can see this happened to her in a mild fashion for two years, in a stronger fashion for one year and in an unacceptable fashion for the final two months, before the Head of Department was exposed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the University \u2026 well, they are not interested in Hannelore.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a University bullying story to tell, please use contact@21percent.org to get in touch. Media inquiries should be directed to media@21percent.org <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 21 Group is anxious to publish accounts of bullying in Universities from the viewpoint of their victims. These stories are rarely heard. Too often, we hear the bluffing of the HR Directors that “our University does not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form“. Too often, we hear the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1238,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions\/1238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/21percent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}