General duties of employers related to stress, bullying and violence

Despite their impact on health, there are no specific regulations aimed at controlling stress, bullying and violence at work. However, employers have legal duties under both statutory and common law that are relevant and safety reps have rights they can use to tackle these problems (see Chapter 4). There is specific law on harassment as explained on page 137, but legal protection for workers who are bullied is poor.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees (see Chapter 1). The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Management Regulations) require employers to carry out risk assessments (see Chapter 3) – including the risks to mental health – and safety reps have extensive rights under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (see Chapter 4).