Code of Conduct

Every person who comes into contact with BTO can expect to be treated with respect and consideration.

About our Code of Conduct

BTO is clear that abuse of any kind is unacceptable in every circumstance.

The Charity Commission places a responsibility on BTO to keep all who come into contact with our work safe from harm of any kind. Disrespectful behaviour, bullying, and harassment are distressing for individuals and negatively affect the reputation and perception of BTO and its activities as a place where everyone is welcome.

This code outlines the standards of behaviour expected and examples of those behaviours that will not be tolerated.

Who our Code of Conduct applies to

This code applies to our staff, our members, and volunteers, including surveyors and participants in the Ringing and Nest Record Schemes, (hereafter referred to collectively as ‘staff and supporters’). It applies to all BTO activities, whether online (including meetings and events, telephone, letter, and email) or offline (any face-to-face interaction).

Our overarching standards

We have two overarching standards that we expect all staff and supporters to uphold:

1. Create a welcoming and safe environment

To achieve this, staff and supporters will act with respect and consideration for each other.

Inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour has no place in our community and persistent and/or serious instances of this type of behaviour may amount to bullying. Bullying is defined as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.

2. Create a BTO community free of all forms of harassment

To achieve this, staff and supporters will treat each other with respect and consideration regardless of protected characteristics (whether directly, by association or by perception). These include age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, or other factors such as socio-economic background and ornithological experience.

Harassment is defined as unwarranted, unwelcome and uninvited behaviour, which violates an individual’s dignity, or creates an intimidating, humiliating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment for them.

Examples of inappropriate behaviour

The behaviours listed below are some different types of behaviour, bullying and harassment that have no place in BTO. This list is not exhaustive.

If you experience inappropriate behaviour, bullying or assessment whilst involved with the work of BTO, please let us know by using our Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy.

  • Directing inappropriate language towards others or making degrading comments about individuals or groups of individuals.
  • Humiliating others by shouting at them, either publicly or privately, or maliciously ignoring individuals or groups of individuals.
  • Making racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, disablist or ageist jokes, remarks or gestures, which may demean or discriminate independently of our intentions.
  • Mocking, mimicking or belittling another person because of a perceived difference, or using this difference as a reason to treat them unfairly.
  • Making unwelcome and unpermitted sexual advances, suggestive behaviour or touching someone against their will or without their consent, even if it is perceived as harmless by the individual behaving this way.

Training people to ring birds 

For the purposes of ringing, there will be occasions where a ringer needs to raise their voice, for example, if a risk to the welfare of birds or individuals arises (such as when using a cannon net). In these cases shouting is warranted and does not constitute bullying or harassment.

For more information about training to ring and what to expect, please see our ringing pages.

Telling us about a breach or potential breach of this code

Please use BTO’s Compliments, Comments, and Complaints policy to alert us to a breach of this code. Our complaints policy sets out what we need from you, what you can expect from us, and answers other questions that may arise. 

If you are at a conference, event, or online activity when an issue arises, please speak with or message the organisers of the event so that action can be taken at the time. You can also use BTO’s Compliments, Comments, and Complaints policy processes to follow up on the issue after the event if required. 

BTO response

Where we are aware, or are made aware, of breaches or potential breaches of these standards, we will take steps to investigate and address them (see Compliments, Comments, and Complaints policy).

Steps we will take when there has been a breach of this code include:

  • Asking a person(s) found to be in breach of this Code of Conduct to stop any disrespectful or harassing behaviour immediately. 
  • Where the incident is serious or repeated, asking any person(s) found to be in breach to leave an event, or remove them from an online event.
  • In more serious cases, and/or where a pattern of behaviour is evident, taking appropriate steps to bring to an end our association with any person(s) found to be in breach, for example by bringing to an end a voluntary position or BTO membership. 

BTO’s Board of Trustees review this Code of Conduct annually and as appropriate.

Last reviewed 20/08/2024.

The following documents set out more detailed standards of behaviour expected for specific activities and what recourse we will take in the event of a breach:

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