Parliament survey finds evidence of bullying and sexual harassment

A survey of staff working at the Scottish Parliament has found evidence of bullying, harassment and allegations of serious sexual misconduct.

The Dignity at Work survey questioned staff who work for MSPs or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

The parliament’s chief executive and the presiding officer said they were “deeply concerned” by the findings, with the incidents only coming to light because of the review.

According to the report, there were 84 incidents of staff experiencing and / or witnessing bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, including a “very small number” of allegations of serious sexual misconduct going back to 2021.

This included 45 reports in relation to bullying, 25 in relation to harassment and 14 in relation to sexual harassment.

The review was carried out ahead of forthcoming changes in employment law arising from the Employment Act 2025, which will bring in stronger whistleblowing protections.

In a letter to MSPs and their staff, Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone and the parliament’s chief executive David McGill said: “We are deeply concerned by the findings on bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. These incidents during this session only came to light through this review, making it clear that some colleagues did not previously feel safe or confident to share their experiences.

“Our foremost concern is for those affected. Coming forward is never easy, and we are grateful to everyone who took part in this review.  Anyone who raises concerns must be supported and assured that their concerns will be handled with independence, expertise and empathy. There can, and must, be zero tolerance of inappropriate behaviour.”

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has considered the report and given its full support to its recommendations. The implementation of the recommendations is to be set out in the coming weeks.