Dominic Raab Resigns Following Report Into Bullying Allegations

Laura Kearsley

Following days of speculation, deputy prime minister and justice secretary, Dominic Raab, has resigned after allegations that he bullied staff members while working as a cabinet minister.

Dominic Raab posted his resignation statement on Twitter in which he revealed that an official report into his behaviour, which was presented to Rishi Sunak on Thursday (20 April), upheld two bullying claims that had been made against him.

However, Mr Raab criticised the report, calling the findings “flawed” and that they “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government“.

The claims of bullying made against Dominic Raab first surfaced in November 2022. Former staff members alleged that he created a “culture of fear” in their departments. Mr Raab denied the allegations but once the formal complaints were made, he asked Rishi Sunak to launch an inquiry into his own conduct.

Dominic Raab returned to his role as deputy prime minister and justice secretary, both roles he held between September 2021 and September 2022, when Rishi Sunak became prime minister.

Constructive dismissal claims for bullying

In the situation where an employee resigns as their employer has behaved unreasonably or because of a situation at work which they cannot tolerate any longer, such as bullying or harassment, they may be able to bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal for constructive unfair dismissal.

Only employees can bring claims for constructive unfair dismissal and usually, they will need two years’ service with their employer.

Examples of workplace bullying can include:

  • Unfair behaviour
  • Victimisation
  • Exclusion
  • An employee circulating malicious rumours about another member of staff or insulting them
  • Demotion or perceived demotion
  • An employee making threats against another

What should employers do?

Employers owe all their staff members a duty of care. This includes, where possible:

  • Protecting them from bullying and harassment;
  • Taking allegations of bullying and harassment seriously; and
  • Providing a process whereby these can be raised and dealt with.

The proactive steps employers could take include:

  • Having a policy and training employees on management;
  • How to handle difficult conversations; and
  • How to recognise and stamp out bullying.

When allegations of bullying are raised, employers should take them seriously and take steps to investigate and follow through with disciplinary consequences if there has been misconduct by any alleged bully.

This can involve a balancing act for the employer in dealing with the employees involved fairly during the investigation process.

Sometimes bullying can be intentional and malicious but at other times there can be mitigating factors to consider, such as the alleged bully’s mental health, the level of stress and pressure they are under and what training they have had on management and delegation.

In some cases, a disciplinary process or a disciplinary sanction will not be appropriate and support, mediation and re-training might be more sensible options.

Dominic Raab Bullying

How Nelsons can help

Laura Kearsley is a Partner in our expert Employment Law team.

For further information or advice in relation to constructive dismissal claims as a result of bullying or harassment in the workplace, please contact Laura or another member of our team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.

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