Sellafield Ltd has reinforced a commitment to eradicating unacceptable behaviour in the workplace following claims that there is a “toxic culture” of bullying and harassment at the plant.
A nuclear plant spokesman said there was no place for bullying and harassment at Sellafield, adding: “We do not tolerate it and where we find it, we take action.”
The response comes after the BBC received a leaked letter from the nuclear site’s group for ethnic minority staff which, according to the broadcaster, described racial abuse.
Other workers said sexist and homophobic bullying had become routine.
But a Sellafield Ltd spokesman said: “We’re committed to ensuring all of our employees are respected, included, and able to perform at their best.
“We are working hard to improve our processes so employees can have confidence that when issues are raised, they are dealt with.
“We closely monitor our progress, including seeking the views of our workforce through working groups and surveys.
“It was one of these surveys, in 2018, that first brought focus to concerns about bullying and harassment.
“We did not ignore this, or seek to cover it up. We confronted the issue, proactively shared information with employees, and developed a company-wide improvement programme. This work is continuing.
“We accept we have more work to do in this area but we remain as committed as ever to eradicating unacceptable behaviour from our workplace.”
