He had not lied in the Flemish Parliament, VRT CEO Frederik Delaplace recently said in this newspaper. There were no files on his desk containing complaints of inappropriate behavior from former content director Ricus Jansegers, nor from the now dismissed network manager Lotte Vermeir. Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) supported the CEO.
In Vermeir’s email, which our editors were able to view, Vermeir addresses Van Achter directly. “I suspect that you were not informed correctly and would like to inform you about the steps I have taken to address the behavior of Ricus Jansegers.”
That step-by-step plan starts in 2022, when Vermeir first tried to discuss the situation with Jansegers himself. Afterwards she looked for a step higher, with HR director Karen Donders and Frederik Delaplace. When that also had little effect, she reported it to the chief of staff of then Media Minister Benjamin Dalle. After a negative evaluation in 2023 – which Vemeir directly attributes to those reports – she went to the CEO and Donders several times. A conversation with an external prevention service led to nothing, because a complaint would end up with Delaplace again. Discussions with confidential counselors, the integrity advisor and the head of the Welfare department also had no effect.
“We personally reported this to several people in the office of the CEO, in the office of the HR director, even to the chief of staff because we did not receive a response. Where should you go if you want to address toxic leadership from a director?”
Read the entire email here
Dear,
I saw that you mentioned my name on Wednesday and stated that the CEO did not lie because there would be no complaint from me. I suspect that you were not informed correctly and would like to inform you about the steps I have taken to address Ricus Jansegers’ behavior.
2022
I first and foremost discussed this with Ricus himself in the autumn of 22. Because this had little effect, I also discussed it with the HR director, Karen Donders and the CEO, Frederik Delaplace. Because little happened with this, I also reported it to the chief of staff of the Minister of Media, Linde de Corte.
2023
These reports cost me dearly: I was negatively evaluated by Ricus Jansegers in 2023 (for the first time in a long line of excellent evaluations on VRT since 2008). During the conversation it was not disguised that this evaluation was a consequence of my report. The conversation was only about that, not about my results, not about my goals, but about my lack of loyalty. I also reported this again to Karen Donders and Frederik Delaplace. I literally said that the discussion about the evaluation was transgressive. I was given a coach, a mediator, to learn how to deal with Ricus. My request to investigate this more broadly was not responded to, Donders and Delaplace refused to look at my evaluation on the basis of the agreed objectives and my achieved results. They referred me again to Ricus Jansegers.
In addition to myself, there were also 4 other female staff members of Ricus Jansegers in 2023 who wanted to address him about his behavior. We asked for help from a coach who supervised various processes on VRT, but he refused to assist us.
In 2023 I also entered into discussions with the external prevention service Premed, but they said that a complaint through them would lead to a report and that this report would go to … the CEO, Frederik Delaplace, who we now knew that he minimized these complaints and worse, that they can lead to a negative evaluation.
2024
Also on April 23, 2024, I again complained about Ricus’ behavior to Karen Donders. She says at this meeting that Ricus’ behavior has been investigated by a coach and does not appear to be toxic. We discuss a number of his quotes that can also be read in the press: “it’s your head on the chopping block”, “I’m going to cut your balls off with a sharp knife”. Karen Donders says she has already discussed this with him and will do so again, but maintains that this is not toxic.
In the spring of 24 I also consulted one of the fourteen confidential counselors, (the editors have deleted the name). He indicated that based on my complaints he would normally have to “speak to my boss’s boss”, but also said that in this case (given the level at which the problem is located) that was of course difficult. Moreover, he was called back by Karen Donders after he was present during a conversation on 17/5 between Karen Donders, K. (HR) (the editors have deleted the name) and myself. Something for which I had requested and received permission in advance. This made him (the editors have deleted the name) had to let me know that I could not rely on him if I had wanted him there as a confidant in a subsequent conversation with Frederik Delaplace or Ricus Jansegers.
Furthermore, toxic leadership was also part of my whistleblower report (Spring 24) that was also discussed (the editors have deleted the names). I also reported this again in the research conducted by Nico Janssen just before the summer.
We personally reported this to several people in the office of the CEO, in the office of the HR director, and even to the chief of staff because we did not receive a response. Where should you go if you want to address toxic leadership from a director?
If you have any questions about this, I am always happy to provide further explanation.
Kind regards,
Lotte Vermeir
Belgium
