Boss of law firm praised for approach to sexual harassment issue

A senior partner at a UK legal firm has been praised by those within the HR sector, after he took a proactive approach to addressing claims of sexual harassment.

John Bruce works in a senior management role at the Kennedys legal company. This firm has been rocked by reports of unwanted sexual advances and bullying at the top levels of the organisation. In response, Bruce conducted a video call involving all of the company’s offices in which he promised to personally oversee the process of addressing the various complaints.

One of those who praised this approach to the matter was Edwin Coe employment law head Linky Trott. Speaking to HR Magazine, she said taking direct action to deal with complaints was the best way to avoid them escalating to tribunal claims that can damage the reputation of a company.

Trott went on to recommend some courses of action that HR departments can take to create healthier workplace cultures:

“HR teams must employ confidential staff surveys, risk assessments and role appropriate training for all staff and managers, including bystander intervention and leadership accountability.”

Given the specialist nature of this training, some firms may want to bring in an employee relations consultant from Bedfordshire to handle it. This will ensure a greater level of expertise.

Another HR professional who commented is Jess Sandham of Human by Practice. She said the steps taken by Bruce were the correct ones, but that they need to be backed up by decisive measures if the complaints are found to be justified.