Bullying a serious workplace problem

5 September 2008

As many as one in seven people say they have been subject to bullying in the workplace, a new poll has revealed.

The survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of the TUC, found that 14 per cent reported they have been victims of bullying in their current jobs.

One in five believed that harassment was a problem where they worked.

There was, however, a discrepancy between the public and private sectors. Some 19 per cent of public sector employees had experienced bullying, while the proportion fell to 12 per cent in private sector firms.

Men (16 per cent) were more likely to be bullied than women (12 per cent).

Earnings also appeared to have an effect on exposure to bullying. Employees who are paid up to £60,000 a year tended to face more victimisation than staff earning less than £20,000.

Brendan Barber, the TUC’s general secretary, said: “This level of bullying at work is completely unacceptable. It is particularly disturbing that more people complain of bullying in the public sector. Every organisation needs to have an anti-bullying policy, and every manager should ensure that there is zero-tolerance of bullying either by line managers or workmates.”