The BBC is currently investigating 25 different allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace, according to two of the Corporation's top executives.
The Beeb's Director General Tony Hall and his deputy Anne Bulford spoke in depth about a "spike" in reports of workplace harassment while addressing the House of Commons' Digital, Culture, Media, Sport committee on Tuesday (7 November), reports Deadline.
In their remarks, Hall and Bulford put the increase in active investigations down to the notoriety surrounding unconnected sexual assault and harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein — who denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
[Anne Bulford]
"After the Weinstein [controversy], material was published, we reminded staff again of the procedures," Bulford told the committee. "All the time we are encouraging people to step forward if that is the right thing to do.
"You perhaps won't be surprised to know that we have a spike at present. We have a spike, more cases than we have seen over the last three years."
Bulford — who did not provide specifics on the allegations — said that the BBC's official policy has always been to "encourage people to speak" if they've experienced or seen sexual harassment in the workplace, regardless of whether those accusations are "current or historic".
"As far as harassment and bullying, and I would extend that to sexual harassment too, we should have zero tolerance," her superior Lord Tony Hall also told the committee.
"That means to make it as easy as possible to do the very difficult thing and come forward and call out behaviour that is not acceptable."
[Tony Hall also spoke to the Commons committee on Tuesday]
The two high-ranking officials also touted a statistic that 75% of BBC employees are aware of where to find information and support if they feel they've been harassed, up three percentage points from last year.
Digital Spy has reached out to the BBC for more information on its current investigations.
Also during Tuesday's appearance before the Culture, Media, Sport and Digital committee, Lord Hall indicated that his team are considering cutting the salaries of 'overpaid' male stars in order to reduce the Corporation's gender pay gap.
