Survey paints disturbing picture of workplace bullying

The study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed that one fifth of all UK employees had experienced some form of bullying or harassment over the last two years.

However, the groups most likely to become victims of bullying and harassment were black and Asian employees, women and disabled individuals.

Nearly one third (29%) of Asian employees or those from other ethnic groups reported having experienced some form of bullying or harassment compared with 18% of white employees. Employees with disabilities were at least twice as likely to report having experienced one or more forms of bullying and harassment (37%) compared with non-disabled employees (18%).

The survey involved 2,000 employees and was carried out by the CIPD in association with MORI and Kingston Business School. Its finding were unveiled ahead of next week's "ban bullying day" which takes place on 7 November.

'Serious problem'

The CIPD urged employers to invest "the resources needed" to reduce bullying and harassment at work.

Mike Emmott, CIPD employee relations adviser, said: "Bullying and harassment is a serious problem in many workplaces and employers need to take the issue more seriously. It can damage individuals’ confidence, morale, motivation and sometimes their health causing them to be less productive and effective at work.

"It can also trigger absenteeism, make retention rates go down and both the employer’s reputation and bottom line can take a hit."

He added: "Bullying can take many forms, including ridiculing personal characteristics, making unfair criticisms and ignoring people, as well as physical or verbal harassment. Employers need to be alert to the damage a bullying culture can cause. Line managers need to be able to recognise signs of bullying or harassment and take action to deal with the situation before it gets out of hand.

"Employees who are being bullied or harassed need to know how to complain, and feel reassured that they won’t be victimised if they do."

Anti-bullying policies

The study also showed that public sector workers were more likely to experience bullying than their private sector counterparts - 22% compared to 17%.

However, according to Mr Emmott the difference between the public and private sectors may not be due to more bullying happening in the public sector, but to greater awareness of the issue and recognition of the importance of dealing with it.

He went on to say: "Many organisations have anti-bullying and harassment policies, but changing people's behaviour remains a challenge. Bullies don’t always recognise what they are doing and victims can be reluctant to complain.

"There is a real need for employers to explore the underlying issues, and consider for example if they should provide diversity training. People need to respect the contribution that others can make, regardless of gender, race and disability."

A guide from the CIPD 'Tackling bullying at work' can be downloaded from the organisation's website - see link above/right. It offers alternative ways to tackle the difficult issues surrounding bullying at work and suggests how to implement an effective policy.