Anonymous Complaint

What would you be hoping would happen as a consequence of the letter? The problem with an anonymous letter is that he just says it’s nonsense/malicious and there may be nothing anyone can do about it.

Are you in a union?

And your point is relevant how??

I did exactly this and found myself pushed out. I trusted the board member and believed they would believe me. My boss was/is really awful but only privately and in ways it’s hard to prove. He is charming public school boy to everyone who doesn’t know him well.

I’d be very careful @BlackBean2023 and to be honest my advice is smile sweetly and leave. I felt morally obliged to do something for the benefit of all the much more vulnerable staff and users. But with hindsight I didn’t achieve anything, sadly. Even in modern culture of safeguarding etc, it is still very much close ranks and protect the organisation. I would never ‘whistleblow’ again.

Ive been in a similar situation. Everyone was sick of the bosses behaviour. It was terrible. We all discussed it frequently and were utterly miserable. I raised it eventually and nobody backed me up! I had many examples but in the end it was just my ‘interpretation’. It made me unwell mentally and changed the relationships I had at work. I got the silent treatment and the looks. Happy to say I left and am in a lovely job now where I’m treated with respect and as a human. Occasionally I think of my former colleagues who are still in that situation. Was it worth speaking up?

Its not that unusual with workplace tyranny where everyone is equally afraid of the fallout of poking the angry Ogre with a big stick.

You can’t live a life where you dread going to work because of the behaviour of one individual. The whistle needs to be blown. If anonymously or not, something needs to be said. Can you get anyone else to back a complaint? What you don’t want is people who bottle it as soon as you do complain and leave you to face the wrath.

If you are in a senior role you should have a relationship with the chair and board that would allow you to raise this in confidence without needing an anonymous letter.

is the chair your boss’s direct manager? If so, ask so meet her/him for coffee. Talk about the culture of the organisation and the impact on staff morale of his behaviour.

Maybe consider a coach/ mentor to help you navigate this?

Just put you all under suspicion and if they launch an investigation no one will support it

have you talked to any other members of the team

Agreed

and between 10 fully fledged adults in senior positions - it would appear not one has been inclined to progress before now

I know if they asked other members of the senior leadership team (about 10) that they would say the same as me.

No, you don’t. When push comes to shove, I bet they’d say nothing.

I had a similar situation to this in the past, no one did anything and behaviour continued so I did speak to a couple of colleagues who I knew felt the same and suggested we have a meeting the 3 of us so it was less daunting than going alone.

Some May think you’re crazy for not saying something but it is so hard… but this cannot continue.

Either write the anonymous letter or make a formal complaint yourself and maybe gather some extras who will agree

The amount of money this charity must spend on salaries!!

know if they asked other members of the senior leadership team (about 10) that they would say the same as me.

and yet not one has been arsed to do anything off their one back before?

Between 10 senior managers… none has pursued anything against him despite what sounds like appalling behaviour?

What is your companies whistleblower policy? I’d look at as you do have some protection with it.