We normally associate the day at the office with long working hours, repetitive tasks and long meetings, but bullying is now commonplace for the majority of UK workers with harassed employees feeling singled-out, humiliated and intimidated. According to a recent survey from Monster, a shocking two out of three Brits (67%) have been bullied at work. Women in the UK face more workplace harassment than men, with over 35% suffering, often in silence, from abuse in the office.
The Monster Meter asked, ìHave you ever been bullied at work?î 3,558 Brits placed a vote, revealing:
35% (1,247 votes) ìI am a woman: Yesî
32% (1,145 votes) ìI am a man: Yesî
21% (737 votes) ìI am a man: Never in my lifeî
12% (429 votes) ìI am a woman: Never in my life
The same survey was carried out in a number of other European countries. Hungary came top of the list with the highest number of respondents claiming work-related bullying. An incredible 75% of Hungarian workers said they have suffered from bullying in the office.
However, the Netherlands stands out as the safest country for an abuse-free work environment, with 73% of respondents claiming they had not dealt with any form of bullying. 34% of Dutch men claimed that their work place is the most non-abusive amongst all regions, which is also mirrored in the findings for women (39%).
The Monster Poll also reveals women as the main victims of bullying across the majority of regions. Women lead overall with 31%, whilst men (29%) are not too far behind, proving bullying at work is not biased towards one gender over another.
Notably, Irish women tolerate the greatest amount of bullying, with over 45% claiming that they have suffered from office abuse. On the other hand, men in Germany face the greatest back-hand of bullying with 38%, whilst both Italian and Swiss men come in a close second (36%).
The issue of bullying is often dismissed in the workplace. However, recent research from the TUC in November 2005 reported that two million Brits had been bullied at work during the last six months and UK businesses lose 18m working days a year as a result.
Employers are responsible for a workerís health, safety and welfare while at work and should provide an atmosphere where people can get on with their job, said Alan Townsend, Chief Operating Officer, Monster UK and Ireland. All companies should ensure they have clear policies and procedures for employees that are followed through by management. This can then prevent potentially dangerous outcomes such as poor workplace morale, lost productivity, litigation and health costs.î
Office Bullies Cause Misery for Two-thirds of Brits
Workplace bullying proves to be widespread across European countries for both men and women
