Poor management encourages bullying

Bullying and harassment costs £2 billion a year and leads to 19 million lost working days, according to a new report by the London Chamber of Commerce. It says the victims of bullying are more likely to make mistakes in their work or have accidents, and that witnesses to bullying can also suffer negative effects.

Bullying and harassment in the workplace - a practical guide says that overworked and overstressed managers are the most common bullies, and that bullying thrives in negative work environments, where there is an atmosphere of uncertainty or threatened redundancy, or there is a culture of loose management control or an autocratic management style.

It advocates generating a positive work environment which encourages values such as honesty, respect, trust and participation among workers to tackle bullying.

Copies of the free guide can be obtained via the London Chamber of Commerce's occupational health helpline on 020 7203 1871.