This week Rachael Maskell, UK Member of Parliament (MP) for York Central, presented a Ten Minute Rule Bill about Bullying and Respect at Work.
What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill?
A Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a piece of legislation in draft form. Most Bills are put forward by government ministers, but Ten Minute Rule Bills are Bills that are introduced by backbench MPs in speeches of up to 10 minutes. Opposing speeches of the same duration typically follow before MPs vote on whether to introduce the Bill.
Thankfully, there was no opposition speech in this case, and it went straight to vote in favour of the Bill. Its second reading is set to happen in November 2023.
What is the Bullying and Respect at Work Bill about?
The Bill aims to address and reduce abuse of power in the workplace and its harmful impact on employees and workplace cultures by:
- Providing a legal definition of workplace bullying, which helps get everyone on the same page about what counts as bullying and what doesn’t
- Allowing claims to be made to Employment Tribunals for bullying itself, rather than the current law’s restriction to discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal claims only
- Introducing universal minimum standards for respectful work environments
- Empowering the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate and enforce consequences on organisations known for bullying
What does this mean for young Black professionals?
If the Bill became law, it would mean that everyone who experiences degrading and demeaning treatment in the workplace could have more options for legal redress.
For people with particular protected characteristics, such as young Black professionals, it could mean another route for things to be put right that doesn’t rely on discrimination.
In the UK, race discrimination is notoriously difficult to prove, which doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but rather that there is a challenging threshold for evidence that the Tribunals are willing to accept in support of that type of claim. Similar difficulties arise when proving harassment.
If this workplace bullying law passed, there would be another alternative to seek justice, provided that the legal definition of workplace bullying is satisfied. Ultimately, what’s possible would depend upon what the would-be law says, so seeking legal advice is still important.
What are the chances it will actually become law?
Most Ten Minute Rule Bills do not pass the second reading stage because Parliament are often pressed for time and preoccupied with passing government-backed legislation. However, with enough attention and demand from the public, the Government might prioritise it on their legislative agenda, and with their support we could see it become law.
Who is supporting the Bill?
MPs who have backed this Bill so far include:
- Rachael Maskell MP, York Central
- Andy McDonald MP, Middlesbrough
- Dawn Butler MP, Brent Central
- John McDonnell MP, Hayes and Harlington
- Emma Lewell-Buck MP, South Shields
- Ian Lavery MP, Wansbeck
- Wera Hobhouse MP, Bath
- Ian Mearns MP, Gateshead
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Streatham
- Barry Gardiner MP, Brent North
- Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion
- Andrew Jones MP, Harrogate and Knaresborough
The anti-bullying organisation Conduct Change, who lead the Stop Hurt At Work campaign, are also supporting the Bill.
What can I do to support the Bill?
- Share this article with your network
- Write to your MP asking them to support the Bill (if they aren’t already)
- Tell a friend to tell a friend (and their MP)
- Share about the Bill on social media (e.g. retweet Rachael Maskell, read our Founder Nikki Adebiyi’s thoughts on the Bill, and use the hashtags #BackTheBullyingBill #StopBullyingAtWork #StopHurtAtWork)
