Staff at BBC Sport have reportedly contacted Human Resources four times in the past three months, raising concerns about the confrontational management style of the new head of sport, Mark Hughes.
Hughes is also facing accusations from some staff members of having a “slight lacking in sports knowledge,” particularly outside the realm of football.
He took up the position in March, having previously served as the head of news at the Daily Telegraph.
These reports of HR concerns emerge following earlier claims of a toxic and bullying environment within the BBC Breakfast programme.
According to one source, “Mark is an excellent journalist and is well-regarded by many. He has little patience for incompetence and can be quite assertive. While he aims to get the best from his team, some staff members have found this intimidating and have raised their concerns. HR is aware of the situation and discussions have taken place, but no formal complaints have been filed.”
The source added that although Mark`s expertise in football is strong, staff have questioned his understanding of other sports. This includes reported missteps such as his handling of Danny Care`s retirement from club rugby (a year after his international retirement) and mistakenly believing that the British and Irish Lions rugby team plays home and away fixtures.
Conversely, another insider commented that “Mark is significantly improving the original reporting and exclusive stories produced by BBC Sport.”
In response, the BBC stated, “We have robust processes in place to deal with any workplace-related concerns.”
Marcus Bellamy