The scale of workplace bullying

The results of the 11th and most recent biennial TUC safety representatives’ survey (2014) show that bullying was one of the five most frequently cited hazards.

According to the TUC: “Bullying/harassment has become a key hazard to watch for as it has grown steadily as a top-five concern throughout the period of the TUC’s safety rep surveys.” While 37% of reps reported bullying/harassment as a top-five concern in 2010, 41% did so in 2012 and that figure rose to 46% in 2014.

The 2014 survey found that bullying/harassment is a particular concern in the public sector, where half of safety reps identify it as one of their top five concerns, but it is now a top-five concern for reps in 10 sectors. In banking, insurance and finance, it was cited by 73% of reps. It is also the second most widespread concern (after stress) in workplaces of all sizes, although it is more prevalent in larger workplaces.

Other recent surveys back up the TUC’s worry that bullying is a growing concern in British workplaces.

In January 2015, the Family Lives charity reported the results of its workplace bullying survey, based on a poll of 1,500 workers. It found that 66% of those responding to the survey had witnessed bullying at work. Forty three per cent had been bullied by their line manager, 38% had been bullied by a colleague, and 20% had been bullied by a senior manager or chief executive officer.

A massive 91% of respondents reported that their organisation did not deal with bullying adequately. In 35% of cases the bullying went on for more than a year.

Almost three-quarters of respondents in the survey (74%) said that workplace bullying affected their family life and close relationships, and 78% felt that the financial climate and shortage of jobs is preventing individuals from standing up to the problem. Almost half reported that they felt they had to continue to put up with the bullying, while a fifth of respondents had been signed off with stress, and 44% had sought medical advice or counselling.

In August 2015, new research commissioned by law firm Slater and Gordon showed that almost six in 10 people have witnessed or suffered bullying in the workplace. The survey, which was based on the responses of 2,000 working people, found that two-thirds of those who had witnessed bullying reported that a colleague had been subjected to a sustained period of harassment. In response, the TUC has renewed its call for action to prevent workplace bullying, and encourages people to join a union to ensure they are fairly treated at work.

While 37% of those questioned in the survey had been bullied themselves and a further 21% had witnessed colleagues being subjected to abuse, less than half (48%) did anything about it. A quarter thought that bullying was just part of their workplace culture, 20% feared becoming the target of the bully themselves, and one in 10 feared losing their job if they complained.

The bullying included intimidation, being humiliated in front of colleagues and being excluded from social events. Almost a quarter said they were shouted at, and one in 20 had things thrown at them. One in six of those who had witnessed colleagues being bullied reported that a co-worker had been subjected to inappropriate sexual remarks, while one in 10 had heard racist insults.

Other research shows the extent of bullying and harassment in particular sectors, although of course these incidents are not limited to the sectors highlighted below.