ITV has drawn up strict new rules requiring staff to declare all relationships with colleagues – which could even include friendships – in the wake of Phillip Schofield’s resignation earlier this year over a workplace affair, according to a report.
The This Morning presenter quit after admitting that he had lied about an “unwise, but not illegal” affair, amid allegations that ITV bosses had turned a blind eye to the relationship.
Under a “Personal Relationships at Work Policy” distributed to all staff this month, they are required to declare relationships with colleagues which – as well as partners – include “a person living in the same household” and “anyone involved in a sexual, romantic or close relationship or friendship (whether short or longer term)”, according to the Sunday Times.
It said that people who breach the policy could face disciplinary action or even lose their job.
The document reportedly says: “If a personal relationship exists between you and another colleague (whether it started prior to or during the course of your employment or engagement with ITV), both parties must disclose this to the company at the earliest opportunity.”
Relationships with freelancers, consultants, contractors, apprentices, agency staff, volunteers and people on work experience fall within the scope of the policy.
The Sunday Times said the policy, which directs staff to declare the names of associates and the nature of their relationships on a Google Forms questionnaire, had attracted criticism from some at the broadcaster.
An anonymous member of staff was quoted as having described the document as “properly mad” and another as having said it looked to be a “step too far”.
Schofield stepped down in May, having presented This Morning for 21 years, after admitting to an affair with a younger male colleague while he was still married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe. He had announced he was gay in February 2020.
News of the affair and Schofield’s resignation sent shockwaves through the media and in June ITV’s chief executive, Carolyn McCall, was questioned by MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport committee about the episode and the wider culture at the broadcaster.
She was asked about allegations by former presenters such as Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes that Schofield’s relationship had been known about throughout by the broadcaster but no action had been taken.
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McCall denied turning a “blind eye” and said that after a December 2019 newspaper article suggesting Schofield was in a “close friendship” with a staff member on This Morning, the company had asked the young male runner 12 times formally and informally about the rumours but he had always denied it.
Schofield was also said to have been asked about it on numerous occasions but he too denied the relationship.
An ITV spokesperson said: “ITV has had in place a policy on relationships at work since October 2022.
“Like all of our people policies, we keep them under review and update them periodically. The relationships at work policy was most recently reviewed and updated in October 2023.”
