Results of the 2012 TUC biennial safety rep survey

The Labour Research Department (LRD) carries out a biennial survey of safety reps for the TUC. Over recent years, the survey has charted a steady rise in reports of workplace bullying and harassment. It was the most commonly reported hazard for 41% of reps surveyed in 2012 (up from 37% in 2010), and second only to the number one hazard, stress (69%). Bullying and harassment is now amongst reps’ five most common concerns across 10 different industrial sectors (compared with only five two years ago). Concern about overwork is also on the increase and is now the third most common hazard, identified as a major concern by 33% of reps (up from 29% in 2010).

As in previous years, the survey shows that psycho-social threats — stress, bullying, harassment and violence — are far more significant in the public than the private sector and suggests that the problem is worse in larger workplaces. The survey also reveals large regional increases. In particular, the problem has grown in East Anglia (42% compared with 33% in 2010), the South West (42% compared with 31%) and Wales (40% compared with 28%).

The extent of bullying appears to vary between sectors of the economy. Some of the worst performing sectors are looked at in more detail below.