BBC review finds Jewish staff fear career damage for raising concerns
Independent workplace report warns BBC employees, including Jewish staff, fear speaking out could harm their careers
BBC employees and freelancers, including Jewish and Muslim staff, fear that raising concerns could damage their careers, a major independent workplace culture review has found.
The 2025 review, commissioned by the BBC Board, revealed that both Jewish and Muslim staff had expressed fear about “speaking up, raising issues and being themselves at work”, concerns that have intensified since the conflict in the Middle East reignited last October.
The report states that Jewish and Muslim networks “felt concerns have not been heard or acted on”, and that a plan of action has been shared with the BBC Executive Committee.
Separately, the review found broader fear among freelancers creating BBC content, regardless of background, that raising complaints could be “career-limiting”. Many feared being seen as “difficult” or risking future work by speaking up.
Despite the BBC having more channels for complaints than in 2013, including anonymous whistleblowing options, many staff remain unclear on how to access them.
A survey of nearly 900 freelancers found that while most said BBC teams behaved in line with corporate values, almost half said they did not feel safe speaking out about inappropriate behaviour. Just 42 percent believed the BBC holds people accountable for misconduct.
The review warns that “speaking up is especially seen as pointless” when concerns involve “presenters, high-profile seniors and favourites”, with some Jewish staff describing a culture where influence shields certain individuals from scrutiny.
The BBC Board has accepted the report’s recommendations, which include resetting behavioural standards, improving informal resolution processes, and greater transparency on outcomes when issues are raised.
In a statement, the BBC said, “The BBC has said it will take immediate action to improve workplace culture, after publishing a comprehensive independent report.
“The BBC Board has fully accepted the report and its findings, as has BBC management. Both view it as a catalyst for meaningful change – to reinforce expectations around behaviour and act more decisively when standards are not met.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
