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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has released a new set of policies on bullying and harassment, including providing for the imposition of sanctions on the organizations it finances.
BHF has extended its terms to all organizations that receive grants from the charity by telling them how they should comply with its policies regarding bullying and harassment.
It expects all institutions that benefit from it to benefit from:
- Having a policy in place that clearly sets out the standards of behavior expected of staff and its complaint handling process, including a first point of contact;
- Make sure that an equivalent policy is in place in any sub-recipient organization, if applicable;
- Investigate allegations of intimidation and harassment impartially, fairly and expeditiously, ensuring that the rights of the employees concerned are protected and taking the measures that are required;
- Tell the BHF research fund manager when it is decided to formally investigate an allegation of intimidation or harassment and, subsequently, the results of the investigation;
- Once the investigation is completed, inform the BHF Research Manager if the allegation is maintained and, if so, the findings of the investigation and possible sanctions.
BHF may apply its own additional sanctions to employees of an organization, if an allegation of intimidation or harassment has been made, such as withdrawing funding from the grantee or requesting the member of the organization. staff to attend training on workplace behavior.
It may also impose penalties on a grant recipient if it does not respond to a complaint of intimidation or harassment in a timely and objective manner or if it fails to keep BHF informed.
BHF may suspend the funding of a grant recipient "in extreme cases".
Not trivial policies
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at BHF, said the policies were not meant to "overload" the organizations she finances.
He said: "We know that the vast majority of scientists conduct their research with integrity and professionalism. These new policies simply state our approach if the behavior falls short of our expectations.
"Medical research charities have worked closely together to ensure a unified approach, ensuring that host institutions are not required to meet different standards by different funders.
"We encourage all research actors to engage in these positive changes so as not to overburden host institutions, but to make a significant contribution to the respect of researchers and the integrity of research."
The Association of Charities for Medical Research (CDMA) said that BHF's new policies were not trivial and that only the largest charitable medical research organizations had put them in place.
A spokesman said: "Bullying and harassment have no place in medical and health research. This can directly affect the quality of the research and have a destructive effect on the research environment.
"As the backbone of nearly half of publicly funded health and medical research in the UK, it is important for CDMA members to take this issue seriously and contribute to the development of health care. Establishing a culture of dignity and respect in the people we fund.
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