A sizeable cohort of the workforce at University of Galway have concerns that their employer would not deal appropriately with complaints of bullying and discrimination.

It comes as a total of 33 staff in University of Galway have claimed to have experienced sexual harassment and sexual violence within the workplace.

And a further 47 staff members said they had witnessed sexual harassment and/or sexual violence within the university.

Bullying has also been identified as a major issue of concern among the workforce on-campus — more than 300 workers said they had been bullied or harassed within University of Galway.

A notable number of staff (38%) felt complaints about bullying and discrimination “would not be appropriately managed” by their employer.

The figures are contained in a report commissioned by the university, a full copy of which was obtained by the Galway City Tribune, despite efforts by the university not to release it.

Headline figures and an overview of the sexual violence problem from the Athena Swan Culture Survey Report 2023 were previously highlighted in this newspaper, and now we can reveal the full findings from the report.

It highlighted that, “96% of respondents indicated that they did not experience sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, and a small amount of 3% reported that they actually experienced sexual harassment within the University.

“While 3% is a relatively small percentage, any instances of sexual harassment or violence are concerning and indicate a need for continued vigilance and efforts to prevent and address such behaviour effectively within the university community.”

Similarly, it said, “94% of respondents indicated that they did not witness sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, while 5% reported witnessing such incidents within the University.

“While 5% is a relatively small percentage, any instances of sexual harassment or violence are concerning and indicate a need for continued vigilance and efforts to prevent and address such behaviour effectively within the university community.”

The report said there was “concerning” levels of bullying and harassment reported by staff working in the university.

The findings, it said, suggested “potentially significant instances of bullying and discrimination that warrant attention and proactive measures to address and mitigate such issues within the university environment”.

A “substantial” number of respondents (41%) reported witnessing bullying and/or harassment.

“Further investigation will be carried out in (fourth quarter of 2024) to uncover the nature of these encounters and whether these instances were recent or historic,” it said.

The report found a similar pattern in findings of staff who experienced bullying, discrimination, and sexual violence, and those who had witnessed it.

Some 30% indicated they had experienced bullying and/or harassment, and 25% said they had experienced discrimination.

“These findings are concerning, suggesting potentially significant instances of bullying and discrimination that warrant attention and proactive measures to address and mitigate such issues within the university environment,” the report said.

There were some 1,016 respondents to the survey, carried out by its Office of Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

The actual numbers, rather than percentages, showed some 308 staff members said they had experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace. And a further 255 people experienced discrimination at University of Galway, with more women (27%) than men (20%) claiming this.

It identified issues with how staff felt the university would deal with the problem.

“In relation to challenging bullying or discrimination, 31% of the respondents indicated a reluctance to challenge bullying/harassment and 29% reported a reluctance to challenge discrimination,” the report found.

It said, “a notable 36%-37%” felt that complaints regarding either bullying or discrimination “would not be appropriately managed”.

“These findings suggest a hesitancy among respondents to volunteer information about these issues, this will be investigated further,” the report found.

“Female respondents expressed less confidence than male respondents in the proper management of bullying or discrimination complaints. Additionally, females indicated more discomfort in challenging either bullying or discrimination compared to their male counterparts,” it added.

The university has told this newspaper it takes the issues identified in the survey, “extremely seriously”.

It said it was adamant it will address the issues, “as we strive to create a workplace which values dignity, respect and equality for all.”