Employers urged to tackle office bullies
Employers urged to tackle office bullies
Bullying is steadily increasing in UK workplaces, according to new TUC figures released on 7 November to coincide with National Ban Bullying at Work Day. Fifteen per cent of the union safety reps questioned in the latest TUC biennial survey of union safety reps said bullying was a major problem in their workplace. Two years ago, 12 per cent of reps raised bullying as a big concern, which was up from only 10 per cent in 2002. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Bullies in the workplace must not go unchallenged and should not be given free rein to intimidate and victimise their colleagues. For individuals who are targeted by the office bully, the taunting and the jibes can severely damage their work and their home lives.' He said that bullying is not hard to tackle. 'Every workplace should have a policy which makes clear that intimidating behaviour towards colleagues will not be tolerated and that those who persist in undermining their fellow members of staff will be dealt with severely.' He added that a new Dignity at Work Bill 'would encourage employers to take the problem more seriously.' Psychology professor Cary Cooper from Lancaster University said a large scale national research study had found 'bullying doesn't just affect the people who experience it first hand, but the people who witness it too. It lowers morale in the office and in some cases can lead to an increase in time taken in days off work for stress-related problems. Moreover it can also impact on other areas of life including relationships and family life.' Professor Cooper urged employers to use the Health and Safety Executive's stress management standards to help address the problem.
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