The scientific workplace, as with all workplaces, should provide a caring, constructive environment with safe, supportive working conditions for all.
Bullying and harassment can have a devastating effect on the workplace environment, and this includes in sectors such as astronomy, solar-system science and geophysics.
As a Society dedicated to promoting the study of these subjects, we are keen that no one is excluded or suffers as a result of their experiences within the workplace.
The RAS believes that all of its members have the right to work in a climate of respect; they should not be subject to intimidating, hostile or humiliating treatment.
In line with this goal, we have created a survey designed to explore the perceptions and experience of bullying and harassment within the space sector, including astronomy, solar-system science and geophysics.
We would like to ask our members and others who work in these fields to complete the following anonymous questionnaire so that we can understand the scale and nature of this issue in order to help us work, with others, to prevent and mitigate it.
The survey is open to everyone working in the industry, not just those who have witnessed or been subjected to harassment or bullying, so we ask you please to fill it out, and share it.
Completed survey forms should be returned by the 31st May 2020 using this online survey form:
https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=158151824454
If you have any queries about the survey or its use, please contact Dr Sheila Kanani, RAS Diversity officer via skanani@ras.ac.uk
This survey is being sent to those working in the field of astronomy, solar-system science and geophyiscs and is designed to capture information about bullying and harassment within these and closely related fields.
Please be assured that individual results will be treated in confidence and will be presented in a way that ensures that no individual or workplace can be identified. Responses are anonymised and names of respondents will not be disclosed under any circumstances to anyone, including RAS staff. We would encourage you not to provide any information that will identify either yourself or someone else.
The information gathered from this survey will not be used for any purpose other than to help the RAS better understand this issue so we may act, alongside others, to prevent or mitigate bullying and harassment impacting our Fellows and others in the field.
The RAS committee for diversity in astronomy and geophysics (CDAG) will use the data to consider whether there are specific actions or recommendations that the RAS can take, and results will be presented in a document that can be used in your own place of work.
Please participate in this survey even if you haven’t been subjected to harassment or bullying yourself.