Investigation takes place at Hastings Lifeboat Station following claims of sexism

A spokesperson said: “'A thorough investigation has taken place into behaviours at Hastings Lifeboat Station and appropriate action has been taken based on the findings. Local management continue to work closely with the station to create a positive environment to continue saving lives at sea.”

The allegations came to light after The Times newspaper said it had seen documents relating to a 2022 RNLI staff survey in which many female staff alleged that sexism and misogyny were rife, with one volunteer saying it had ‘ruined’ her mental health.

The cultural review took place at the Hastings station after a report that female volunteers had been barred from missions in favour of ‘alpha male’ colleagues, The Times reported.

It said it has seen the 2021 and 2022 internal reports of human resources surveys where the complaints were voiced. This was confirmed by the BBC which said it had also seen the documents.

The RNLI, which has more than 30,000 staff and volunteers, had about 3,600 survey responses over two years, mostly positive comments. But the survey results also show concerns including "blame" culture, misogyny, being overworked, and a lack of space to openly call out inappropriate behaviour. The 2021 survey described the level of sexism at RNLI stations as "abhorrent".

In a longer statement given to the Hastings Observer by the RNLI, Sue Barnes, the RNLI’s People Director, said: “We are sorry to our volunteers and staff who have faced behaviours and actions that no one should have to tolerate. There is no place for misogynistic, sexist, and non-inclusive behaviours at the RNLI and we are committed to taking action and tackling such behaviour.

“The RNLI takes allegations and concerns raised by volunteers and staff very seriously and has a process in place to ensure these are heard and investigated. We have a code of conduct which outlines the behaviours and values which we expect our staff and volunteers to adhere to. Where these standards fall short, we will act.“We encourage people to call out unacceptable behaviours and are committed to investigating and taking action where behaviour falls below the standards we expect. We have a range of methods that our people can use to report unacceptable behaviour, including a whistleblowing reporting line hosted by a third party.“We know we have more work to do to ensure we become the truly inclusive lifesaving charity we strive to be. This is the right thing to do and is a key commitment for the RNLI.”

The RNLI runs regular surveys so it can hear directly from volunteers. They say these surveys, are run in partnership by a trusted third party and are completed anonymously empowering people to give open and honest feedback.

In 2021, 2,076 people completed the employee survey and in 2022, 2,589 people completed it. A 71% response rate.

The RNLI says it has a formal whistleblowing process and procedure along with a freephone whistleblowing hotline or an online form. It says it encourages individuals to raise their concerns under this procedure.

A spokesperson said: “We have four active people networks – the Disability Network, Race Equality Network, Harbour Network (LGBT+ network - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) and the Young Professional Network.

They help us to identify what we already do well and influence our charity to act when change is needed.”

According to RNLI statistics for 2023 there are currently 702 female boat crew (12.5 percent); 408 shore crew (12 percent) and 107 involved in station management (12.8 percent).

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