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Bullying

"The Team Works" Discussions about the Royal Navy.
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leej78
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Bullying

Post by leej78 »

In writing this I am hoping to encourage other RN personnel to stand up and speak out against bullying, it is not an attempt to cast a shadow over the Service.....nobody should lose their career because of bullies!!!!

In 1996 I was fortunate enough to have been able to sit the entry examination for the Royal Navy. I was even more fortunate to experience success with the entry examination and progress to the interview stage of the entry process. However, the Chief Petty Officer whom conducted my interview felt I was not ready for an entry date. He accepted I had a strong desire to begin a career in the Royal Navy but was not convinced of my readiness. He instructed me, or rather advised me, to continue with my A-Levels studies, assuring me that gaining these qualification would give me more career prospects within the Royal Navy. I followed his advice and my patience prevailed as the following year I repeated the interview process and was granted an entry date to serve in Her Majesties Royal Navy, complete with A-Levels.

As you can see I was following orders in the established chain of command before I was even required to. I followed the instruction of a senior rating before even being under the employ of the Ministry of Defence in the Royal Navy. Clearly I could have completed my studies at A-Level and chosen to stay on the educational ladder and progressed on to university. I may well have chosen a different career path, maybe decided the Royal Navy didn’t want me, so I didn’t want them; but no, such was my desire to begin a career in the Royal Navy, as it had been since around the age of 8, I persevered and perseverance paid off as I took my first step on the ladder to a naval career.

The navy life was definitely for me, it was every part of my being. I would forfeit travelling home to see family on weekend leave just so I could stay in the surroundings of naval life. I even had a Warfare Branch badge sewn on to a pair of my underwear. It was my life, not just a career.

I project forward in time to early 1999. After enjoying a successful period of service onboard HMS Coventry, and having just passed the Operator Mechanic (First Class) course, I was billeted onto the Navigators Yeoman’s course at HMS Dryad. It was another opportunity, another string to my bow, another piece to the puzzle of my naval career. Needless to say I was raring to go.

The enthusiasm I expressed for the course was brought to a resounding halt. For some reason the course instructor, Petty Officer Yorke, took an immediate disliking to me. From the very beginning of the course I was subjected to mental and psychological abuse. This abuse was not shielded from my colleagues on the course, it was conducted on a daily bases in the presence of them in the class room. In spite of the unwarranted abusive attitude projected onto me by Petty Officer Yorke, I did my very best to maintain my concentration and my commitment to completing the course and furthering my career. Unfortunately, such was the severity of the abuse, I was unsuccessful in my attempts to pass the courses final examination. It was the first real failure of my naval career.

Arrangements were made for me to be entered onto the following course. I was filled with apprehension and worry about the prospect of having to endure similar, if not identical treatment, when I returned to Petty Officer Yorke’s place of instruction. However, being dedicated to furthering my career I decided to bury any feelings of apprehension and anxiety and attempted to re-face the course with the same enthusiasm and dedication I had shown in my career up to that point.

Armed with my somewhat depleted enthusiasm, I was met once again with the abusive and bullying attitude of Petty Officer Yorke. The torment lasted until the end of the course, which fortunately, I passed of the second attempt. Knowing that, unless there was some horrible situation I found myself drafted to the same ship or establishment as Petty Officer Yorke, I would not have to encounter him again I stepped forward with renewed vigour and attempted to rebuild my damaged enthusiasm for my career. I was going back to sea, finally escaping the worst experience of my short career.

HMS Anglesey, a FPV, was to be my new home on the next step of my career. A new beginning you might say. A new beginning, which seemed as fresh and as welcoming as my first day in the Royal Navy. A new beginning that was, until I met my new boss, the Navigational Officer, Lieutenant Leadbetter.

Lieutenant Leadbetter was a person much in the same mould as Petty Officer Yorke. He subjected me to bullying, abuse and psychological torture. Just when I believed I could put my recent past experiences behind me, I was confronted with them again, only by a different perpetrator. I was filled with devastation. These new incidents of abuse where did not go un-noticed. They became apparent to my colleagues, and also to other members of the Wardroom. The ships First-Lieutenant even went as far as reminding Lieutenant Leadbetter of his obligations as far as conduct was concerned; something which I was grateful of and regretted, as I received a full backlash of Lieutenant Leadbetter’s disliking to the conversation with the First-Lieutenant.

Unable to take the pressure of the accumulated incident and abuse I had received from both Petty Officer Yorke and Lieutenant Leadbetter, I make the decision to remove myself from any further possible harm. It is something I am fortunate to have been able to live to regret, but, on a period of leave I decided my only escape would be to take my own life. I took an overdose. Obviously the overdose was non-lethal, but all the same it was an overdose, something I felt I had to do, something I had been driven to do to escape any further abuse and torment. It was clear to see that even an interjection from the ships second-in-command could hold no bearing on the situation, so what other choice did I have?

My actions resulted in a lengthy period of sick leave. It was during this time that I found the courage and strength to officially raise a complaint against Petty Officer Yorke and Lieutenant Leadbetter. At this point my faith in any form of justice within the Royal Navy was shattered. Why would I believe I would receive any kind of support in light of my recent experiences? So it was to my surprise that my allegations were met with absolute sincerity with regards to their importance. As a consequence a full investigation was launched. I was visited by members of the RNP from HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. The first visit focussed on me being interviewed and the second visit was so that I could provide a written statement witnessed by the RNP staff.

A short time after the visit of the RNP staff I received a further visit. It seemed the allegations had taken a step up in severity as this time I was visited by RNP SIB staff. They interviewed me further based on a need for extra information in order to further the investigation.

As a result of the bullying and abuse, I was classified as Temperamentally Unfit for service. So that was it, my naval career, something I had dreamed of since the age of 8, my one true ambition in life, was over. It could be said that I should have ignored the abusive treatment I endured, that I should have brushed it off, marked it down to experience and carried on regardless. However, if the bullying and abuse had not been present as a catalyst for what eventually happened to me, the possible recommendations to ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ would never have been necessary.

The investigation into my allegations was eventually completed. I received notification that both Petty Officer Yorke and Lieutenant Leadbetter had been reprimanded and warned of their future conduct. A justifiable punishment? Maybe so, for a first offence, if this was in fact a first offence for both of my abusers. Or maybe not. How is it justifiable when a person who had been so dedicated to a career in the Royal Naval service, loses that career, a career I should still be in, and makes a suicide attempt, all as a result of the inconsiderate and abusive actions of two senior members of Royal Navy personnel who just so happen to hold on to their careers and escape with a reprimand?

You may be wondering why, as this all happened so long ago, am I bringing the details of my terrible experiences to your attention now. Well, in 2008, I was discussing the unfortunate incidents with a member of SSAFA. As part of the discussion it was recommended to me that I submit an application, via the Veterans Agency, for a War Pension. I took heed of this advice and made my application. Unfortunately my application was refused on the grounds that I had not been Medically Discharged, but rather as previously stated, classed as Temperamentally Unfit for service. Naturally this decision was more than a little disappointing to me, however, I chose to accept the decision and left it there.

I jump forward in time again to earlier this year, when I came across the letter which informed me of the refusal to award me a War Pension. Seeing it again prompted me to think about how the Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence are obligated to take care of its employees.

My curiosity led me to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. At first I wasn’t convinced the Royal Navy would fall under such legislation, after all the Royal Navy is an armed force expected to encounter times of danger. I sought advice from the Veterans Agency hoping for some clarification and honestly expecting to have my belief confirmed. However, my query had been passed on to Navy Command Headquarters who confirmed that the Royal Navy is bound by legislation found in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Imagine my surprise. Armed with my new found knowledge, I decided to dig a little deeper. I took a look at the legislation in the act, where upon I found this statement:

“It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.”

Following this discovery, I referred back to the certificate notifying me of the refusal of a War Pension. I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking for or hoping to find, just something to corroborate the above statement I suppose. Anyway, I found this:

“The Secretary of State does not accept harassment as due to service.
Bullying and harassment are not factors of service, but an act of an
individual or more. Service may well be the setting but as the Secretary
of State stipulates it is not the cause.”


Admittedly a fair comment, after all a person cannot be bullied by their place of work, only by individuals in the place of work. Having said that, the statement from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 clearly confirms that the bullying I was subjected to contravenes the legislation within in the ac because I was bullied in the work place.

Now, it may be argued that the Royal Navy is a very large employer with a vast number of service men and women spread out across shore establishments and ships across the fleet, and in that sense it is hard to maintain high standards with regards to unfair treatment, bullying and abuse. However, the Secretary of State for Defence has taken on such a great task, as is shown on JSP 815 Annex A – Secretary of State’s Policy Statement part 1:

“As Secretary of State I am responsible for all safety1 environmental
protection (EP) and other sustainable matters within defence”


Clearly a grand statement, but all the same it is a statement which needs to be honoured, and there is no reason for me to not feel aggrieved that this statement was not upheld and adhered to.

I made the decision to refer my findings to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. Admittedly my hopes were to have the decision to refuse my application for a War Pension overturned. Why wouldn’t I? After all I had just discovered that the Royal Navy were in fact bound by legislation in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. I had high hopes. The corresponding reply didn’t meet with my hopes; however, it did offer confirmation that I was indeed considered to have been bullied during my service:

“It is accepted that you were bullied and harassed during your Service,
however, as was explained in the Certificate Refused decision, these
are not factors of Service but caused an act of one or more individuals.
Service may have been the setting but was not the cause.”


I don’t think I need to refer back to the Secretary of State’s statement from JSP 815, but it clearly contradicts yet another statement from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. What did give me a little confidence was that the letter included a statement acknowledging that I had in fact been bullied. How could it be possible for me to have been provided with an admittance of my treatment and still not receive the justice I deserved over the loss of my career? I wish I had the answer, I really do.

I wasn’t deterred. I probably should have been, but I wasn’t. I had received another setback, but it just served to install more determination within me. I had to keep going, so I did. I looked further into legislation set out in JSP’s. First of all I looked again at JSP 815. I came across a statement I felt to be relevant. It concerned the General Agreement Between The Ministry Of Defence And The Health And Safety Executive:

“This agreement:

sets out the principles which apply to the observance of health
and safety legislation by MOD in respect of members of the military,
naval and air forces of the Crown, MOD civilian employees and others affected by MOD activities;”


So, not only did I now know that the Royal Navy is bound by legislation set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, but also the MOD was bound by an agreement with the Health and Safety Executive. I decided to present this to the Health and Safety Executive. In spite of being party to this agreement with the Ministry of Defence, the response was a little deflating. The basics of the reply, received from Mr Alan McGiveron, were to explain the primary role of the Health and Safety Executive. The final statement made was:

“Under the legislation we enforce, and due to the length of time that has
elapsed, we are unable to take this matter any further.

I appreciate this matter has caused you some distress. I can only advise
that you seek advice from a solicitor.”


I was somewhat disappointed with the response. Why should it matter when the bullying and abuse occurred? Should it not be a matter of importance because it happened? Especially as I had confirmation that the bullying had been acknowledged. It had never been my intention to seek legal advice since I had submitted my original War Pension application. Not just because it was not a financially viable option, but because I did not wish to bring any disrepute onto the Royal Navy. It may have left a clear devastating impact on me personally, but I still had an affinity with the Royal Navy. Now though, if I am honest, it has crossed my mind. Maybe a legal representative would be the only clear way to achieve what is right. Regardless, it is not an option as it is still not economically viable.

Never-the-less, another knock back was not going to stop me from at least digging further. So, my search went on and on. I found no more support in JSP 815, so I chose to look elsewhere. Google was a very helpful tool. I discovered further support in JSP 375 Vol.2 leaflet 25:

“The Secretary of State for Defence in His Health and Safety policy
statement makes clear his commitment to protecting the health,
safety and welfare of all members of HM Forces and civilian employees
of the Ministry of Defence. This commitment extends to all aspects
of occupational health and safety including the effects of excessive
pressure or stress”


There was a further point of relevance in this statement, which again links back to the whole ‘service was the setting not the cause’ explanation I was presented with:

“The Ministry of Defence accepts that, on behalf of the Secretary of
State for Defence, it has a duty to take reasonable care that employee’s
health is not placed at risk through excessive and sustained levels of
stress arising from the way work is organised, the way people deal with
others in the workplace, or from day to day demands placed on its staff.
The nature of the activities of the Department also make it possible that
some employees, will at some point, be subject to traumatic incidents as a
result of accidents or military operations.”


Not only has the Secretary of State for Defence provided a statement declaring his responsibility for the safety and welfare of members of HM Forces, but here the Ministry of Defence also accept responsibility on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence on the same matter. Again, an honourable statement on the part of the Minister and the Ministry, but it cannot be allowed to remain a mere statement. The point of most relevance to myself from the above two statements is obviously: “the way people deal with others in the workplace,”. These two points alone are proof that the Secretary of State for Defence and the Ministry of Defence claim a duty of care to its employees and a responsibility to provide those employees with a safe working environment, a responsibility which in my case was not met. A dedication to responsibility such as this has to be honoured, and was it? No, it was not. Not only was this a failure to adhere to promises made as part of legislation, it was the breaking of a promise on a personal level, a promise to me as, at the time, a serving member of HM Forces.

JSP 375 has a section on Health and Safety law. With this being a Joint Service Publication, I suppose it has no bearing on the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 with regards to its aspects and rules on overall employment safety. After all, Service law could not be applied to Health and Safety law for the general public, as is I believe, the relevance of which shall become apparent. Anyway, the statement, found on page 8 of the JSP is as follows:

“ The law requires all employers to manage their risks to health, safety
and welfare and defines the general duties that encompass how they
must meet their overall duty of care. In essence these general duties call
for employers to inform, instruct and train people, and to provide and
maintain suitable systems of work, equipment, workplaces, processes
and materials.”


Now, I was bullied and abused, that has been accepted and acknowledged by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. The abuse occurred, that has been established. What should have prevented this abuse from happening is clearly outlined in the above statement. Had the Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence taken on their responsibilities and chosen to correctly "inform, instruct and train” Petty Officer Yorke and Lieutenant Leadbetter, they would have known not to have acted in the way they did. It could be argued that, as individuals without adequate instruction, they did not know that what they were doing was wrong. I find this very doubtful. What full grown adult does not know that bullying and abuse of an individual is wrong? Regardless of my doubts it is still arguably possible. So just who was to blame, my abusers or the employers of my abusers?

Furthermore to the above statement, in failing to "inform, instruct and train” a knock on effect was felt as the ‘workplace’ was effected; after all I was bullied in the workplace.

I have not received in-depth psychological testing to asses for the presence of PTSD, nor have I been to a war zone or been involved in active conflict. However, despite these truths, my time of abuse has left me with scars. They may not be scars of heroic duty, or from having acted beyond the requirements of service, but they are still scars, mental scars, and they were obtained as part of my service in the Royal Navy. It seems that because of my experiences and the circumstance of my discharge, I became just a number, or more of an ex-service number, not even an ex-serviceman, a number. Is that right? Is that fair? I don’t think it is, but then again, my thoughts don’t matter, just as my time in service to my country doesn’t.
exbootneck
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Re: Bullying

Post by exbootneck »

What a freakin wimp....try the RAF next time.....
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Tab
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Re: Bullying

Post by Tab »

Like reading War & Peace
leej78
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Re: Bullying

Post by leej78 »

exbootneck wrote:What a freakin wimp....try the RAF next time.....
Thanks for your input!

Tab wrote:Like reading War & Peace
Meaning?
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Re: Bullying

Post by Tab »

You should have been called up for National Service, the instructors had just ten weeks to change from an adolescent to a soldier who after ten weeks training would be on active service fighting for his life. They had to get you to obey an order at once with out hesitation or you our other with you could be killed. This was alien to many young men who thought it was bullying, which in ways it was, but it had to be done. During those ten weeks you would be screamed at insulted, hit and punched around you would extra duties in the cookhouse and lose weekend leaves. You would have show up at all times of the day night in full battle dress at the guard room, you would be doubled all over the place in full dress wearing your gas mask holding your rifle over your head. Wearing the gas mask why you running restricted the amount of air you could breath and to say the least it was painful and if you moved the gas mask to get a bit of air you would have to do it all over again, and you think that you have had it hard. Yet every one had to do it or be sent for a spell at the military prison which was not counted as a part of your service. I wound up in several combat zones and what I was taught in those ten weeks served me well and I lived to tell the tale. I must say that when I look back on it every instructor was fair and treated every one as an idiot which in truth is what we were
With you it sounds like you were a square peg in a round hole and did not fit in or would not fit in and that the military was not for you. If you made this clear to those all around you then you are going to get chased around.
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