Workplace Bullying on the rise

The 7th of November was Ban Bullying at Work Day. According to the TUC safety reps survey 2008, bullying is a concern at work for one in five safety reps (20%) a 25% increase since the 2006 survey. In 2004, 12% of safety reps reported bullying as a concern at work. Workplace bullying is a growing hazard

There is a serious concern that as the economic downturn puts workers under greater strain, there is a danger that bullying could spread even further. There is simply no excuse for bullying at work. It can leave people traumatised, unable to work, unhappy after work, and harms office morale too.

Employers are urged to look at their working culture and workplace policies to ensure that whenever bullying rears its ugly head at work, it is stamped out straight away. The survey also suggests that bullying gets worse as the workplace gets bigger. Some 14% of safety reps thought bullying was a problem in workplaces with fewer than 50 employers, while almost double (27%) saw it as a concern in workplaces with over 1,000 employees.

UNISON continues to raise awareness of this issue. There is no time for complacency - bullying is clearly a growing problem and seriously harms those affected.

Click here and use the "choose a topic" drop-down menu for UNISON's materials workplace bullying. The Ban Bullying at Work campaign is founded by the Andrea Adams Trust and supported by the TUC and UNISON. Further info can be found at www.andreaadamstrust.org. The TUC safety reps survey can be found at www.tuc.org.uk/safetyrepssurvey2008.