In Paweł Czernich’s report, former and current RMF FM journalists state that for many years they were regularly intimidated and ridiculed by their superiors, and vulgar comments were directed towards them. Marek Balawajder, former director of the RMF FM information department, is one of the people they named.
Marek Balawajder allegedly said: Why are you so sleep-deprived? Were you sleeping or moving?
– In 2015, we went to record an audiobook with Agata Duda. Before the recording, Balawajder called me and asked if I was wet and excited because it was the first interview with the first lady. He often made sexist jokes. Once I heard: “Why are you so sleepy? Were you sleeping or fucking?” Another time he said to me: “You will f**k like Jews in the ghetto, and I will make you wear an armband,” recalls one of the journalists.
Similar behavior was not supposed to be incidental. – It was about taking revenge on a subordinate. Balawajder once explained this to me in a moment of sincerity. He said that “he also gets bullshit and has to take it out on someone.” He advised that I could also take it out on someone. He gave specific names – says one of the protagonists of the reportage.
Czernich’s interlocutors emphasized that the problem of inappropriate treatment of subordinates concerned not only Balawajder, but also the president of RMF FM, Tadeusz Sołtys. As they pointed out, the village head and the founder of RMF FM, Stanisław Tyczyński, treated women inappropriately.
– I often heard Tyczyński “talking up” to various girls. He liked to start a conversation by asking, “When are we going to bed?” Then you had to show your reflexes and say something humorous to the offending person. The president didn’t pursue the matter and everything was fine. Tadeusz Sołtys was also fond of similar “jokes” (…). When I was hosting my first important program, he came into the studio and during the broadcast, he crouched down next to me and put his hand on my knee. It paralyzed me. He also used to make explicit allusions, which I tried to turn into a joke, but after some time his attitude towards me changed. He stopped being nice and helpful – said the former RMF FM journalist.
Former information director of RMF FM responds to vulgar comments: insinuations
Some employees informed the management of Bauer, the owner of RMF FM, about the situation in a letter. This resulted in the initiation of formal proceedings. As the employees explained, “the catalyst for change was a meeting at the radio headquarters in Warsaw in April 2023.” The internal investigation ended in February. It was assessed that the allegations of mobbing within the meaning of the Labor Code were not confirmed, but it was found that the behavior described by the employees violated the internal code of conduct. Due to this, cooperation with Marek Balawajder was ended.
“To my knowledge, during the period of over 13 years of my position as director, the HR department received one complaint and it concerned the imposition of new employee duties on an employee. However, a real rash of complaints and allegations appeared only after I assessed the work of the Information Department, which did not was, to put it mildly, beneficial for several journalists. The internal commission I mentioned at the beginning and an independent law firm examined these complaints and found no grounds to accuse me of mobbing,” writes former Balawajder in response to Onet’s questions. The former information director at RMF FM calls the vulgar comments he was quoted regarding female journalists “insinuations.” He emphasized that the allegation of harassment in his case was never the subject of an internal investigation. The village head did not answer Onet’s questions.
You need help?
According to Polish law, mobbing means actions or behavior concerning or directed against an employee, which consist in persistent and long-term harassment or intimidation. Mobbing occurs when these actions or behaviors cause an employee to have a lower assessment of his professional suitability, cause or are intended to humiliate or ridicule him, as well as isolating him or eliminating him from a team of colleagues. Mobbing may take the form of passive behavior.
The human resources department (HR) or supervisor should be notified about mobbing, and if the mobber is the one, the higher management should be notified. You can also submit a complaint about violations of employee rights to the National Labor Inspectorate.
The National Labor Inspectorate helps you recognize whether you are a victim, shows you how to cope and how to prepare for a lawsuit. You can also seek legal assistance at the National Labor Inspectorate – advice is provided from Monday to Friday from: from 9.00 to 15.00.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
