Ban Bullying at Work Day and National Stress Awareness Day

Organisations should treat any form of harassment or bullying seriously not just because of the legal implications, but because it can lead to under-performance at work. Wednesday 7 November 2007 marks national ëBan Bullying at Work Dayí and ëNational Stress Awareness Dayí. Bullying and harassment are still worryingly prevalent in the workplace and The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) urges employers to continue to put into place measures to tackle the problem of bullying in the workplace and to invest the resources needed to reduce bullying and harassment at work.

Dianah Worman, CIPD Diversity Adviser says: ìEliminating all forms of harassment and bullying makes good business sense. A workplace environment which is free from hostility enables people to contribute more effectively to organisational success and to achieve higher levels of job satisfaction. People cannot make their best contribution when under fear of harassment, bullying or abuse.î

CIPD key messages:

One fifth of all employees have experienced dome form of bullying or harassment (CIPD survey: How engaged are British employers 2006).

Employees who are bullied are more likely to be depressed and anxious, to be less satisfied at work.

Employees can be subject to high levels of personal stress which can damage morale and lead to higher labour turnover, reduced productivity, lower efficiency and divided teams.

Those who experience bullying or harassment are more likely to be depressed and anxious, less satisfied with their work, to have a low opinion of their managers and senior managers and to want to leave their organisation which make a strong business case for organisations to tackle evidence of such activity (CIPD survey: How engaged are British employers 2006).

There needs to be a clear, well-communicated policy so people know the process to follow if they have concerns about the way they, or their colleagues, are being treated.

CIPD research shows that employers need to provide a positive working environment to satisfy employeesí expectations under the psychological contract.

A well-designed policy statement is an important first step in addressing harassment and should cover all the complexities of intimidating behaviour, including bullying.

Encouragingly other CIPD surveys showed that in 2004, 91% of organisations had a diversity or equal opportunities policy (which grew to 93% by 2006), 83% had a harassment or bullying policy and 39% had a policy covering dignity at work (CIPD Diversity in business: how much progress have employers made? 2006).

A policy does not automatically change cultures and behaviours, so senior management support and communicating the policy is essential, through staff handbooks and intranet, induction and training programmes, and appraisal interviews.