junior doctors ...

I was telling my friend about toilet brush man - supposedly that is the standard excuse for strange object in orifice!!

Well, fair enough.

Of all the dozens of cases of workplace bullying I've seen (and they were clear cases often involving tears or people being signed off sick) not one person has sued or threatened to sue. Only once has anyone even mentioned having official HR involvement. Quite a few were reported to managers and dealt with within the team. Most were ignored because people thought they just had to suck it up.

If I accused my boss of bullying me by say, saying he didn't like pink when I was wearing a pink top, I would have to

(a) demonstrate that I was upset
(b) show that my boss knew I was upset
(c) show that when my boss knew he did nothing about it.

So, in that scenario, my boss would have to apologise and not say it again. Hardly a big deal. The tribunal's not going to award me millions.

Actually I've just read an article about employment law and tribunals. In England and Wales forty years ago there were C8500 workplace disputes dealt with at tribunal. Last year there were C236-thousand.

For a company to fight costs around ten thousand, and the average payout is around half that. So it makes sense for them to settle. Maybe that's why people rarely sue, or rather why the cases don't reach tribunal?

Yes, I can imagine a manipulative employee accusing a superior of bullying when the same behaviour would not normally be seen as bullying by most people. But if it all depends on how sensitive and upset the employee can get, surely Pandora's box is open?

Please could you give me an example of how the law might encourage passive aggressive harasment or blackmail because I'm not sure I understand that bit.

Tbf gooseberrybushes, people rarely sue at all. The more likely scenario is that you approach a manager or HR and say something's been bothering you. If they can't be bothered to do anything about it, I don't really see why they think they should be able to get away with it.

Also the law accepts that the employer/manager may not be aware of something and can't act unless they are aware. I suspect that in this scenario, if it's clear to a TV audience that she was uncomfortable, it would have been clear to her supervisor. A tribunal would assume that her supervisor had at least the same amount of empathy as a TV audience and expect him to be aware regardless.

If the doctor thinks the colour of her stethoscope more important than the mental comfort of her patient then perhaps she's in the wrong job.

Her abilities as a doctor are not going to depend on the colour of her stethoscope, but surely if a patient feels she isn't as competent because of it, then she is not being the best doctor she can be, because her patient doesn't trust her.

That's a draconian employment law and I am sick to the back teeth of bullying. That opens the door to passive-aggressive harassment and blackmail!

OK I watched this and I thought it was terrible. She was obviously upset about her name being changed to Barbie on the rota and they STILL went and doodled on her picture to make her look like a barbie doll or whatever it was. Why the hell shouldn't she wear a pink stethoscope? She dressed perfectly appropriately, hair tied back, no make up and she's a qualified doctor FGS! Or is it assumed that because she's clever she can't be concerned with her appearance? As obviously women can't be pretty AND clever!

However, with her patients, acknowledging that she does look quite young, why doesn't she call herself Suzanne? I wouldn't go for Dr Batchelor, as I don't think it makes a doctor seem approachable but Suzanne sounds more grown up than Suzi.

Gooseberrybushes, that the law as per the lawyer who took the anti bullying and harassment course I went on at work yesterday . Was a very good course and compulsory for everyone in our workplace. Not surprisingly, the employer I've had that deals with bullying best is the one I'm with now.

As I say, I was a bit when she first said this but after a bit of contemplation it does make a lot of sense. Different people have different things they are sensitive about and just because you may not be upset about something, doesn't mean that I'm not. It doesn't take a huge amount of empathy to understand that you are upsetting someone by a particular comment or behaviour and if you are, why would you not stop? It just seems like common decency to me.

I never said you couldn't be a good doctor if you have a pink stethoscope. However, that is the way SOME patients will view a female doctor. Her abilities as a doctor are not going to depend on the colour of her stethoscope, but surely if a patient feels she isn't as competent because of it, then she is not being the best doctor she can be, because her patient doesn't trust her. Nothing to do with her actual ability, it's just how the patient perceives it. I don't see it as any different to doctors dressing smartly, to give a professional appearance.

It's not just the stethoscope she comes across a little childish and it can make people a little worried thinking that their life is in this persons hands. People want to have the upmost confidence in their doctor but acting in a certain way with all the pink to accentuate it even more doesn't really help inspire confidence. Of course the other staff recognise this, and so struggle to take her seriously as she is undermining herself unknowingly.

The same rules applies to any doctor the way they present themselves is the the way people will percieve them.

Ayerobot - I don't think having a pink steth means you're not a good doctor. But I do think that some people will not take you seriously if you dress overtly girly. I'm not sure why that's even being questionned really as my reading of the OP is that the woman isn't being treated with professional respect.

Which hospital are they all working in??

"the only thing that matters is that she is upset and because she is upset, it is a matter of bullying."

I don't know about this, I don't like bullying but it should be more objective than entirely dependent on the level of someone's sensitivity

God forbid that anyone challenges the notion that having a pink stethoscope means that you're not a good doctor.

Well Skifit, that's the way it is I'm afraid. The fact is, going by the OP, she is not being respected as a professional doctor. As I said, it's wrong but it is the way things are, like it or not.

EalingKate seems v sensible on this.

If a guy turned up dressed like David Hasselhoff with a bouffant hairstyle he'd probably get the same.

"Patients might not trust her as much if she seemed like a girl...."{ChishAndFips)
well, imo , I think you shouldnt judge a book by its cover to such an extent. She jolly well know her stuff though.....very knowledgeable..
She is young though.. . . . . .
I am 50yrs and if I was being examined by a Junior Doc I wouldnt think twice about her "girlieness", I would just know she is a junior doctor and still deserves the respect of a professional who is highly trained and qualified. . . .and I wouldnt bat an eye about her pink stethoscope..
What would concern me more would be big Jon (the overweight one) coming over to examine me. . . .worried about his obeseness

VODDY.

She is young, she likes pink...what the hell....just cos she likes pink trainers and has a bloomin pink stethoscope doesnt mean she is girlie and should be treated that way and not respected as a professional Doctor....for goodness sake...

Haven't seen this episode yet, so I can't comment on that, but on the subject of the the pink stethoscope, DD1 who is at medical school recently bought a stethoscope. She would have really loved a pink one, she even has pink saucepans etc, but chose to buy a dark red one because she though that pearly pink would not be professional and that patients might not trust her as much if she seemed like a little girl, not a doctor (in the future). Well for the reasons Voddy gives really. It's interesting to see some others views on it.

Whichever menber of staff called he Barbie and put it as her name on the board is a total idiot....and surely its a male.
Bit mean, I think, although at the time I watched it I was thinking he/she didnt mean any harm...
However for a female working in, what used to be i a total male environment (1800's) it is unfair to name call in such a sexist way.
I reckon she should have had a serious word with the culprit.