New regional employment law workshops to help employers tackle bullying and stress in the workplace

Over 80% of employers have a clear anti-bullying policy in place. However, organisations could find themselves in trouble as very few offer sufficient training, support and guidance to line managers, or have plans to change the behaviour of those accused of bullying.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has launched a new nationwide tour of practical employment law workshops - aimed at helping people management professionals tackle bullying and stress within the workplace, promote employee wellbeing and minimise the risk of legal challenges.

These practical employment law workshops suggest practical ways to ensure organisations fulfil their duty of care. They will help organisations explore all the key issues around policies and procedures, bullying and harassment, stress, and communication. They will also clarify statutory procedures and provide case studies to help employers gain an understanding of the standards legislation expects from employers.

Imogen Haslam, CIPD Professional Adviser, says:
CIPD research shows conflict at work costs employers hundreds of hours of management time each year. To make a real difference, these workplace problems must be nipped in the bud before they have to be dealt with using formal procedures.

This requires good communication and a suitable support network for staff who are facing problems. Line managers at the forefront also need to be involved much more. They should be trained to recognise the signs and take action to encourage people to recognise and change their behaviour before situations escalate.

Much bullying is also low-level. If employers do not take the action to change the behaviour of otherwise valued members of staff accused of minor cases of bullying, they may well end up losing both the victims and bullies if problems escalate in the future.

The workshop will take place at the following locations:

Leeds 12 April 2005
Leicester 13 April 2005
Stansted 14 April 2005
London 15 April 2005 and 29 April 2005
Edinburgh 19 April 2005
Manchester 20 April 2005
Birmingham 21 April 2005
Bristol 22 April 2005
Glasgow 26 April 2005
Reading 27 April 2005
Basingstoke 28 April 2005