Bullying in the workplace

21 November 2006:

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) http://www.hse.gov.uk has urged employers to “step up” procedures to tackle what it calls “the growing problem of bullying in the workplace”. According to the HSE, bullying costs employers 80 million working days and up to £2 billion in lost revenue every year. The HSE says that nearly half a million people in Britain experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill and the financial costs to society are estimated at £3.8 billion a year. The HSE says that bullying is a big contributor to work-related stress that affects one in six people in Britain.

A source at the HSE said that bullying was “a form of organisational violence” and, if not dealt with properly, is a potential source of work-related stress. Bullying can take many different forms, from actual physical violence and threats of violence, to name calling, sarcasm and teasing.

The HSE also pointed out that its Stress Management Standards cover bullying. These can be accessed, along with guidance and a comprehensive supporting toolkit, at www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards.

The HSE statement was made in support of the National Ban Bullying at Work Day which was held on 7 November 2006 by the UK charity, the National Ban Bullying at Work campaign.

Psychology Professor Cary Cooper, from Lancaster University, highlighted his research on workplace bullying, and said, “A large scale national research survey found that 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.”