Employers must try to protect employees from workplace bullying, but sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do about the problem.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is currently deciding on Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab’s future following complaints that he has been bullying staff.
But how do you know you’re being bullied at work and what can you do about it?
The UK Government defines it as “conduct which causes someone to feel intimidated or offended”.
Dispute resolution service Acas says bullying behavior can be “malicious or abusive” or an abuse of power that “undermines, demeans, or causes physical or emotional harm to someone.”
It can be regular or one-off, in person or online, it can be at work or at a work-related event like a party, and it can be non-obvious.
Bullying can be very direct, such as B. verbal or physical abuse, to subtle, such. B. excluding and isolating people.
Bullying can include:
- a colleague who spreads rumors or knocks you down in meetings
- Your boss gives you more work than anyone else
- someone who makes humiliating comments on social media
- a supervisor who offers career development opportunities or training to others that are denied to you
- a boss who doesn’t give you a chance to show your skills or ignores you
There is no legal definition of bullying, and the human resources professional body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), states that there is not a single law that covers bullying.
But there is legal protection. Employers have a duty of care to keep you safe in the workplace and you may be able to claim a breach of contract of employment if you fail to do so.
Oakwood Solicitors employment attorney Jessica Rowson, who specializes in work-related stress, says courts examine the intent and impact of behavior on an individual.
The lack of a legal definition of bullying can create confusion for both workers and employers, Ms Rowson adds.
While the majority of bullying is abuse of power by bosses, bullying can also cut both ways.
People lower down the pecking order can bully you up by showing persistent disrespect, refusing to do chores, spreading rumors, or doing things to try to make it seem like you’re bad at your job .
Business owners can also be bullied, although so-called “upward bullying” is relatively rare.
Bullying can extend to contractors working on site or even job applicants.
In practice, however, most bullying disputes involve someone being bullied by their line manager, according to Michelle Last, work partner at Keystone Law.
Unfortunately, workplace bullying is fairly widespread, with more than one in ten people suffering from it, according to the latest figures from the CIPD.
It found that 15% of employees said they had been bullied at some point between 2016 and 2019.
Women are significantly more likely than men to say they have been bullied.
The CIPD says: “Get in touch! Only by challenging unfair treatment can appropriate action be taken.”
One of the first steps is to raise the issue with a senior manager or Human Resources.
Stephenson Harwood employment attorney Anne Pritam says: “Sometimes bringing the issue out into the open can make a bully back off”.
“Often people who are perceived as bullies have no idea they are being viewed as such, and an informal word from HR or a higher manager could show an employee that their actions have unintended consequences,” she says.
It’s also a good idea to log incidents of bullying, along with the date and time, and how it makes you feel, Acas says.
If the informal resolution of the issue doesn’t work, the next step is to file a complaint, which is one way to file a formal complaint.
It’s also important to take care of your mental health.
Jessica Rowson says, “If your mental health is suffering from bullying, try to recognize that this is an important issue that you need to address and seek medical support from your GP who can help.”
People may not report bullying because they believe it could harm their careers.
Therefore, organizations must have clear procedures for dealing with bullying and act fairly and quickly to resolve complaints, according to the CIPD.
Big employers may have organized systems with employee hotlines and teams to handle bullying complaints, says Anne Pritam.
For smaller businesses, complaints need to be taken seriously and investigated, she says.
If the complaint turns out to be valid, the problem must be addressed – usually through training, coaching or disciplinary action.
Ms Pritam says bullying is “a high-risk issue” and can prompt employees who have been consistently mistreated to resign and sue for unfair constructive dismissal or harassment.
Vishala Sri-Pathma contributed to this article.
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