Bullying At Workplace Increasing At an Alarming Rate, Reports Unison
An increasing number of employees are reporting that workplace bullying is significantly affecting their ability to work productively. A recent study by Unison showed an alarming increase in the number of complaints of this nature.
More than one third of the 7,000 employees interviewed during the survey claimed that they have been victims of bullying in the past six months. This finding is alarming, considering that the number of complainants has doubled since 1997.
The different forms of bullying include rudeness, withholding information, unjustified criticism, intimidation, exclusion and extreme surveillance. 80% of the victims claimed that such acts have affected their mental and physical health adversely. One third of these have been forced to either take leave from work or resign from their jobs.
An enormous 91% of respondents felt that bullies are not taken to task at the right time and in the right manner. Unison’s General Secretary Dave Prentis pointed out that it is in the best interests of employers to ensure that all employees are allowed to work in peace and with respect. Workers have a right to perform their duties in a conducive environment. They should not be forced to quit or absent themselves because of unsavoury behaviour by some colleagues.
Prentis drew attention of all concerned to the recent study, which showed that a staggering 13.7 million workdays are lost due to work pressure and high stress at work place.
Unison has taken steps to push for better legislation to help employers tackle these problems more effectively. It is also appealing for increased focus by HSE on this issue.
Human resources (HR) is at the heart of organisations and stress management is an important part of good management; it not only leads to increased motivation and dedication among employees but also results in fewer conflicts. For anyone involved in human resources management, training and development, a Certificate in HR Practice (CHRP course), provides training to assist managers in the preparation of appropriate policies and procedures to successfully help employers tackle bullying and stress in the workplace.