FOI Request 2203

Subject: Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harm

Status: Complete

Date received: August 2025

Question Asked:

I would like to make a Freedom of Information request for the following information from your organisation please.

1. What data does your organisation collect about incidents or concerns related to workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm?

- For clarity, this includes requests for advice, assistance, informal notifications or formal complaints relating to these types of behaviour.

2. Please provide a list or schema of all data fields used to record or track information about workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm, at any stage of the process your organisation follows (from initial contact to case closure).

- Please include an explanation of the classifications used in each data field and any specific terminology, so it can be easily understood by someone from outside your organisation.

3. Please provide a list of all reports produced by your organisation that relate to workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm?

- Please include a brief explanation for each report of:

who is responsible for its creation (i.e. the job title/role, not individual names)
how often they are produced
the purpose of the report, and
the information and any data fields contained in each report
to whom they are distributed (job titles/roles)
whether the reports are shared externally (e.g. with elected members, Local Authority governance bodies, HMICFRS or other regulators, unions and associations, the general public)

Please provide responses for Q4-7 for the period 2020-2025 (inclusive), broken down by calendar year and listed under the headings of

(a) workplace bullying

(b) harassment

4. The total number of incidents recorded

Please also break these down according to any sub-categorisations you use internally to differentiate types of bullying, harassment or sexual harm incidents.

5. The number of incidents that involved a formal investigation, broken down to show:

i. internal investigations (i.e. those conducted by people employed by your organisation)

ii. independent external investigations (i.e. external lawyers, investigators or other 3rd parties engaged for the purpose of conducting the investigation)

6. The outcomes of the investigations completed in Q5 (using whatever categorisations your organisation records internally against cases).

7. The number of people who have left your organisation who were:

a. complainants (i.e. people who raised any inquiry or complaint)

b. respondents (i.e. people who were the subject of any inquiry or complaint allegations)

Please provide responses to Q8-9 for the period 2020-2025 (inclusive), broken down by calendar year:

8. The number of settlement agreements (or other legal agreements containing any form of non-disclosure requirement) signed by people leaving your organisation who were:

a. complainants who raised any inquiry or complaint about workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm

b. respondents who were the subject of any inquiry or complain about workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm.

9. The amount spent by your organisation on external legal advice for:

a. legal services or advice provided in conducting independent investigations in Q5 (ii)

b. other advice provided about any other matters involving workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm.

Our Response:

Please see our response below to your Freedom of Information Request.

1. What data does your organisation collect about incidents or concerns related to workplace bullying, harassment or sexual harm?

- For clarity, this includes requests for advice, assistance, informal notifications or formal complaints relating to these types of behaviour.

CFRS collects data on inappropriate conduct from various sources in accordance with the ‘Who Do I Turn To’ campaign – this includes, the Dignity at Work Policy, the Whistleblowing policy and Safecall (an independent company who operate a confidential reporting service).

Depending on the severity of the concern it may be dealt with informally with no data recorded, or formally in accordance with the Dignity at Work policy, in which case, records are kept of each grievance process, including:

the nature of the grievance raised;
a copy of the written grievance;
the manager's response;
action taken;
reasons for action taken;
whether there was an appeal and, if so, the outcome and subsequent developments.

- Please include an explanation of the classifications used in each data field and any specific terminology, so it can be easily understood by someone from outside your organisation.

Data fields: Staff number, surname, forenames, employment type, date grievance received, date case closed, length of time (days) from date received to final outcome, grievance reason, name of hearing manager, notes, hearing outcome, appeal received, appeal decision, did the complaint involve an allegation of discrimination based on protected characteristics (listed), did the complaint involve internal bullying/harassment based on protected characteristics (listed).