Health and Safety

Workplace Bullying

1 May 2009

workplace bullying

Workplace bullying is responsible for the loss of nearly 19 million working days per year in the UK. Therefore it is in the interests of both staff and management to act against it.

Although bullying can affect workers and managers, most bullying is committed by managers. People in the post and telecommunications industries are amongst the highest affected by bullying. The effects of bullying include:

  • low morale
  • low productivity
  • ill health
  • lack of motivation
  • loss of job satisfaction
  • high absenteeism

Even those who have witnessed bullying at work are also likely to have poorer health and low morale.

  • Nearly three quarters of Britons (73%) have been bullied at work or seen someone else undergoing it, according to a research study.
  • Of the workers who had seen or experienced bullying behaviour, 32% felt that their managers or HR staff had not dealt with it appropriately.
  • An estimated 18.9 million working days are lost in the UK each year because of bullying.

Employers have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment for you. The employer has to prove that they have acted firmly enough against the perpetrator/s and that they have procedures in place for dealing with harassment and their workforce is aware of those procedures.

If a member comes to the union for help they will be given clear advice and where appropriate, representation to help them challenge the behaviours they are complaining about.

Sources

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