Bullying an issue at work

Sep 6 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

ONE in seven people has been bullied at work, with higher-paid staff most likely to have problems.

A study of almost three million adults by the TUC showed that workers in the public sector suffered more bullying than those in private firms.

Men were more likely than women to be bullied and the biggest problems were among people aged 45 to 54.

About 14% of those questioned said they had been bullied in their current job, while one in five said bullying was an issue in their workplace.

Workers earning under £20,000 a year reported much less bullying than those paid up to £60,000.

Employees in the East Midlands faced the most bullying, while those in eastern England were least likely to be targets.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “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.”

The TUC said it supported a Ban Bullying at Work Day on November 7.