The growth of workplace bullying in the recession climate

Surveys published recently suggest that workplace bullying has increased. Across different jurisdictions, stress and depression contributes to 13.7m working days lost. A large proportion of these symptoms are due to bullying.

One workplace bullying charity (the Adrea Adams Trust) defines the problem as an abuse of power or position. It is offensive discrimination through persistant, vindictive, cruel or humiliating attempts to undermine, criticise, condemn, and to hurt or humiliate an individual or group of employees

Unison has conducted a survey which reports more than one-third of workers saying they were bullied in the past six months.  This is double the number a decade ago.  Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison has said this statistic is “shocking”. 

What are the reasons for the increase in workplace bullying? It may be that employees are more aware of it as a concept, and are therefore better able to identify it.  It may be that, as part of the growing litigation culture, people are able to list bullying with their other workplace complaints at the Tribunal. 

An article in the Guardian recently cited academics’ concerns that economic conditions are an important factor.  Managers may be bullying people out of their organisations in order to keep costs down.  There is also the decline in trade unions and collective action to consider.

Both ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) and charitable organisations, such as the Andrea Adams Trust, suggest that the answer is training.  In these challenging economic times, managers are put under pressure to deliver targets, turnover and profits.  They, in turn, put pressure on their subordinates.  If they are not equipped with the right training, staff may feel bullied under the weight of these demands. 

ACAS suggests that promoting health and wellbeing at work is about focusing on the way people relate to each other in your organisation. In addition, the responsibility for health and wellbeing at work belongs to both employers and employees. 

There needs to be an emphasis on dealing with problems without recourse to litigation.  A healthy balance needs to be struck between dignity at work and the business’ commercial needs.  Greater dialogue between employees and managers can avert these problems and both need sufficient training to find the correct balance.