Action urged on workplace bullying

Two recent surveys reveal the extent of workplace bullying and the lack of action taken by employers

More than half of employers consider bullying to be an issue, yet just 2% have bullying policy in place, according to a survey by The Dignity at Work project - a joint venture from Amicus and the Department of Trade and Industry.

In a separate survey commissioned by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) some 60% of respondents said that workplace bullying is becoming increasingly common, and 36% felt the situation is being worsened because their organisation is ineffective at deterring bullying behaviour.

The CMI’s Jo Causon says: “There is a major gap between what managers say they do to deal with bullying and the experiences of those who have been bullied at work.

“No single off-the-shelf policy will suit every organisation, but the organisational culture and management style should make it clear that bullying is unacceptable. Shying away from the issue is no excuse and involving senior staff and other departments is essential to protect staff, performance levels and productivity.”

In the survey, 11 types of bullying behaviour were identified, including misuse of power, overbearing supervision, undermining of employees by overloading and criticism and social exclusion.

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