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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/oct/30/wellcome-sanger-director-apologises-management-failings-few-women-senior-level
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| Wellcome Sanger director apologises for management failings | Wellcome Sanger director apologises for management failings |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| The director of Britain’s leading genetics laboratory has apologised for failures that prompted allegations of bullying and gender discrimination. | The director of Britain’s leading genetics laboratory has apologised for failures that prompted allegations of bullying and gender discrimination. |
| Sir Professor Mike Stratton, director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, said that the investigation into complaints by 10 former and current staff members highlighted ways that his own conduct and that of the institute needed to improve. | Sir Professor Mike Stratton, director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, said that the investigation into complaints by 10 former and current staff members highlighted ways that his own conduct and that of the institute needed to improve. |
| “I would like to apologise for failures in people management that have occurred and have had unintended detrimental effects on individuals,” he said. | “I would like to apologise for failures in people management that have occurred and have had unintended detrimental effects on individuals,” he said. |
| Stratton was cleared of all the allegations. The investigation found no evidence that he had bullied staff and concluded that the way he managed staff was “neither gender specific nor amounts to harassment”. | Stratton was cleared of all the allegations. The investigation found no evidence that he had bullied staff and concluded that the way he managed staff was “neither gender specific nor amounts to harassment”. |
| However, it also highlighted significant management failings that are said to have led to a culture where decisions were made in a closed manner and which may explain why so few women hold senior positions at Sanger. | However, it also highlighted significant management failings that are said to have led to a culture where decisions were made in a closed manner and which may explain why so few women hold senior positions at Sanger. |
| The investigation came after former and current staff members made a claim against senior management, including Stratton, of gender discrimination. Other allegations centred around bullying and issues of due process not being followed when grievances were raised. | The investigation came after former and current staff members made a claim against senior management, including Stratton, of gender discrimination. Other allegations centred around bullying and issues of due process not being followed when grievances were raised. |
| The report highlighted problems with gender diversity and the need to recruit more female scientists, amid concerns about “indirect discrimination”. | The report highlighted problems with gender diversity and the need to recruit more female scientists, amid concerns about “indirect discrimination”. |
| “Only seven out of the 33 members of the Institute’s Faculty are female. This will require consideration as to the disadvantages faced by women and whether the faculty model gives rise to indirect discrimination,” the report found. | “Only seven out of the 33 members of the Institute’s Faculty are female. This will require consideration as to the disadvantages faced by women and whether the faculty model gives rise to indirect discrimination,” the report found. |
| The investigation was triggered after the lead complainant was asked to leave the institute. The report found that gender discrimination had not contributed to this decision, but that there had been failings by Stratton, who was the scientist’s line manager, in communicating the decision and the reasons behind it. “Performance issues need to be handled in the future with greater transparency, be properly documented and reasoned,” the report said. | The investigation was triggered after the lead complainant was asked to leave the institute. The report found that gender discrimination had not contributed to this decision, but that there had been failings by Stratton, who was the scientist’s line manager, in communicating the decision and the reasons behind it. “Performance issues need to be handled in the future with greater transparency, be properly documented and reasoned,” the report said. |
| The report recommended a process be introduced for people to challenge decisions to ask people to leave the institute because of a lack of “scientific excellence” or “scientific fit”. | The report recommended a process be introduced for people to challenge decisions to ask people to leave the institute because of a lack of “scientific excellence” or “scientific fit”. |
| The report also highlights Sanger’s previous use of financial settlement agreements with secrecy clauses saying such arrangements should “only be used when absolutely necessary” and not “when transitioning individuals and their science to another organisation”. | The report also highlights Sanger’s previous use of financial settlement agreements with secrecy clauses saying such arrangements should “only be used when absolutely necessary” and not “when transitioning individuals and their science to another organisation”. |
| Lord David Willetts, chair of the Board of Genome Research Limited, which operates some of the world’s foremost institutes including Sanger, said the investigation showed failings in the way in which people had been managed. “We also recognise that we need to do more to improve diversity at senior levels of the organisation,” he said. | Lord David Willetts, chair of the Board of Genome Research Limited, which operates some of the world’s foremost institutes including Sanger, said the investigation showed failings in the way in which people had been managed. “We also recognise that we need to do more to improve diversity at senior levels of the organisation,” he said. |
| The independent investigation by the barrister Thomas Kibling interviewed 23 people. | The independent investigation by the barrister Thomas Kibling interviewed 23 people. |
| Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, said they were satisfied with the way the independent investigation had been carried out and that the charity needed to work harder to meet its diversity commitments. “These issues should have been recognised and acted on sooner, and I apologise for not doing so,” he said. | Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, said they were satisfied with the way the independent investigation had been carried out and that the charity needed to work harder to meet its diversity commitments. “These issues should have been recognised and acted on sooner, and I apologise for not doing so,” he said. |
| The problem of workplace bullying in science is increasingly under the spotlight, following a series of high profile cases and a Guardian investigation that found nearly 300 academics across the UK, including senior professors and laboratory directors, were reported for bullying in the last few years. | The problem of workplace bullying in science is increasingly under the spotlight, following a series of high profile cases and a Guardian investigation that found nearly 300 academics across the UK, including senior professors and laboratory directors, were reported for bullying in the last few years. |
| Nobel laureate Donna Strickland: ‘I see myself as a scientist, not a woman in science’ | Nobel laureate Donna Strickland: ‘I see myself as a scientist, not a woman in science’ |
| Speaking at the Royal Society on Tuesday, Mark Walport, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the government’s science funding agency, said his organisation had commissioned an independent review on bullying, harassment and other problems in research culture, saying “there is undoubtedly too much in the way of bad behaviours”. | Speaking at the Royal Society on Tuesday, Mark Walport, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the government’s science funding agency, said his organisation had commissioned an independent review on bullying, harassment and other problems in research culture, saying “there is undoubtedly too much in the way of bad behaviours”. |
| In future, the UKRI will consider using “hard levers” to combat bullying, Walport said, including auditing institutional policies around bullying and harassment, requiring disclosure of allegations and the potential reallocation of funding when allegations are upheld. Walport also expressed concern about the use of confidentiality agreements by institutions. “We will have a strong distaste for confidentiality agreements that prevent legitimate transparency when there are good grounds for concern,” he said. | In future, the UKRI will consider using “hard levers” to combat bullying, Walport said, including auditing institutional policies around bullying and harassment, requiring disclosure of allegations and the potential reallocation of funding when allegations are upheld. Walport also expressed concern about the use of confidentiality agreements by institutions. “We will have a strong distaste for confidentiality agreements that prevent legitimate transparency when there are good grounds for concern,” he said. |
| Wellcome, Britain’s largest medical charity, in May unveiled a new anti-bullying policy, which would lead to scientists who have been sanctioned by their university or institution losing funding from the trust. | Wellcome, Britain’s largest medical charity, in May unveiled a new anti-bullying policy, which would lead to scientists who have been sanctioned by their university or institution losing funding from the trust. |
| The charity, which spent more than £1bn on biomedical research last year, said it plans to punish institutions that fail to disclose details of misconduct or investigate allegations promptly. | The charity, which spent more than £1bn on biomedical research last year, said it plans to punish institutions that fail to disclose details of misconduct or investigate allegations promptly. |
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