Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said an ITN employee had her pay cut while she ended an abusive relationship, while Louise Haigh described alleged bullying of a disabled ITN staff member
A woman was demoted after she ended an abusive relationship with a boss at ITN, stunned MPs have been told.
When she reached out for help, the victim was allegedly told by a female manager: “It’s not like he ever hit you, it’s not like you ever had to go to A&E.” And when she asked a question about sexual harassment in a staff forum she was suspended, it was claimed.
The allegations were made by Lib Dem MP Layla Moran – moments after Labour’s Louise Haigh made separate claims of bullying of a disabled employee at ITN. Ms Moran and Ms Haigh told the Commons that in both cases non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) were used to prevent the victims speaking out.
Describing one harrowing case Ms Moran said: “This young woman was in her mid 20s when she landed her dream job at ITN. She quickly became trapped in a coercive controlling sexual relationship with an older male editor.
“He would hurl wild accusations at her and accuse her of affairs with colleagues. She ended up suffering panic attacks as a result of the relationship.” Ms Moran said that after she broke it off she was demoted, with both her hours and pay reduced.
And she was suspended months later when she asked at a staff forum what support there was for women who suffer sexual harassment at work, Ms Moran said. “Within an hour her email was cut off,” the MP claimed:
“HR summoned her to an urgent meeting – her primary offence was asking for help. From that moment she was suspended without pay.” Even her best friend had to sign an NDA to attend a meeting to support her, MPs were told, and Ms Moran said the victim turned down an NHS offer of group therapy because she was pressured into silence.
She eventually reached a settlement that gagged her, her family, friend and partner, the Lib Dem MP said. The woman – who was not named – was admitted to hospital when her mental health spiralled.
“We are kidding ourselves if we think these aren’t still being issued – they are.” Ms Moran stated. Calling for tougher laws on NDAs, Ms Haigh said: “They’re frequently misused in order to bully people into silence when they have already suffered at work.
“We know of the most high profile cases from (sex abusers) Harvey Weinstein to Mohamed Al Fayed only because there are brave survivors who risked breaching their NDAs. But these agreements are far from confined to celebrity abusers.
“They are being misused and exploited on a vast scale.” And she said she was aware of serious allegations about NDAs being used by trade unions – but did not name which ones.
“I have been told stories that should be on the front pages of newspapers, such as the man who was accused of rape who signed an NDA and was paid off,” Ms Haigh said. “His alleged victim only found out years later that that had been the case while she was still working in the same workplace.”
Turning to ITN, she said another former ITN employee – who she referred to as Mr B – had suffered “severe bullying and discrimination”. Ms Haigh said Mr B, who suffers from a condition called functional neurological disorder, repeatedly asked his employer for help, but this was not forthcoming.
“After suffering from one seizure at work he was required to apologise to those who had witnessed it. He was repeatedly accused of lying about his disability, was told his issues were nothing to do with his disability, despite joining ITN on a disability inclusion scheme.”
She continued: “His health has deteriorated so badly that he now uses a wheelchair 50% of the time and following the loss of his job he was for a period made homeless.” Ms Haigh said: “If it can happen in organisations like ITN, whose literal job is to expose injustice, or in trade unions whose job it is to protect workers, then it can happen anywhere.
“Organisations in these instances no matter who they are will circle the wagons and protect themselves rather than the victim and by doing so they protect abusers. That is why we must remove the tools for their abuse.”
She has put forward an amendment to the Government’s Employee Rights Bill which would limit the use of NDAs.
