LRD Booklets November 2012

Bullying and harassment at work - a guide for trade unionists

Bullying and harassment is on the rise in UK workplaces. This behaviour thrives in conditions of economic uncertainty, with pressures on employers to achieve targets at any cost added to insecure work models such as “zero hours” contracts and agency working. This new LRD guide offers advice and gives examples of best practice on tackling bullying and harassment in the workplace. It also looks at the work being done by unions to tackle the problem, including details of relevant case studies and recent developments.

Introduction (849 words)

Bullying and harassment scar workplaces and ruin lives. This booklet records some of the mounting evidence that bullying is on the rise in UK ...
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1. The extent of bullying and harassment at work (8,378 words)

Bullying and harassment are major problems in workplaces today and there is disturbing evidence that the economic downturn is making matters worse. ...
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2. The law (6,222 words)

There is no legislation specifically aimed at preventing workplace bullying. Unions campaigned for many years without success for a specific legal ...
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3. Recognising bullying and harassment (1,827 words)

To tackle harassment and bullying at work, it is necessary to identify the type of behaviour considered unacceptable, and to provide examples so ...
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4. Raising awareness of bullying and harassment (1,292 words)

The TUC says that there are a number of positive steps reps can take to raise awareness of the need to tackle bullying and harassment at ...
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5. Tackling bullying and harassment (2,188 words)

Tackling bullying and harassment can be difficult, and the victim is likely to need understanding and practical support to help them through a ...
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6. Negotiating a policy (5,190 words)

Policies and procedures are a necessary step towards tackling bullying and harassment at work, even though they are not sufficient to eradicate the ...
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Further information (408 words)

Many unions produce their own guidance on tackling bullying and harassment at work and should also be able to provide advice. The following ...
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