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PRESS RELEASE: New book reveals widespread harm caused
by work place disciplinary procedures

The Post Office scandal is far from the only example of harm caused by an organisation’s disciplinary procedures according to a new book.

Published by Bristol University Press, ‘Under Investigation: Transforming Disciplinary Practice in the Workplace’ charts the systematic harm that disciplinary procedures can have on employees. Authors show that a large part of the £28.5bn of workplace conflict costs in the UK could be saved if disciplinary investigations were used as a last resort.

Wrongfully accused

Between 1999 and 2015, errors in the Post Office’s Horizon accounting software resulted in more than 900 sub postmasters being wrongfully accused of theft, fraud and false accounting.

The Post Office, which privately prosecuted most of these cases, refused to acknowledge the software’s faults, leading to wrongful convictions, loss of livelihoods and even suicides.

However, contributors to ‘Under Investigation’ have found other examples of disciplinary poor practice that has led to mental illness, damage to professional standing, financial hardship, emotional harm, social isolation and disruption to family life.

Nick Wallis, author of The Great Post Office Scandal (Bath Publishing, 2021), called the book, “An important read. It’s a subject that deserves proper forensic scrutiny.”

Motivation

Andrew Cooper, editor of ‘Under Investigation’ and head of programmes for employee wellbeing at Aneurin University Health Board in NHS Wales, said: “The motivation for ‘Under Investigation’ was a growing awareness of the harm that disciplinary processes can cause and a deepening understanding of the range of that impact.

“Working with experts from a range of disciplines, we identified that the harm is not limited to employees. It affects the people conducting the investigations, the culture of the teams and organisations in which they work and it hits the reputation and bottom line of businesses and organisations. And this is harm which can often be avoided.”

Practical steps

Dr Adrian Neal, Head of Employee Wellbeing at the health board and co-editor, adds: “The book aims to provide practical steps that every business and organisation can take to make employee investigations a last resort, using them only when really needed. It sets out action for improving disciplinary policy and process and organisational culture. It calls on the HR profession to lead the change, promoting employee wellbeing and improving organisational culture, reputation and finances in the process.”