New report shows 20% of UK workers have been bullied over the last 2 years – with highest levels reported in the public sector

24 October 2006


One fifth of all UK employees have experienced some form of bullying or harassment over the last two years, according to findings from a survey of 2,000 employees by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in association with MORI and Kingston Business School. Employees who are bullied are more likely to be depressed and anxious, to be less satisfied at work, to under-perform and want to quit.

These findings are launched ahead of the ban bullying day, on 7 November 2006, in a bid to urge employers to invest the resources needed to reduce bullying and harassment at work.

Mike Emmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser, says: “Bullying and harassment is a serious problem in many workplaces and employers need to take the issue more seriously. It can damage individuals’ confidence, morale, motivation and sometimes their health causing them to be less productive and effective at work. It can also trigger absenteeism, make retention rates go down and both the employer’s reputation and bottom line can take a hit.

“Bullying can take many forms, including ridiculing personal characteristics, making unfair criticisms and ignoring people, as well as physical or verbal harassment. Employers need to be alert to the damage a bullying culture can cause. Line managers need to be able to recognise signs of bullying or harassment and take action to deal with the situation before it gets out of hand. Employees who are being bullied or harassed need to know how to complain, and feel reassured that they won’t be victimised if they do.”

The findings show public sector workers are more likely to experience bullying than their private sector counterparts, 22% compared with 17%. According to Emmott the difference between the public and private sectors may not be due to more bullying happening in the public sector but to greater awareness of the issue and recognition of the importance of dealing with it.

The groups most likely to become victims of bullying and harassment are black and Asian employees, women and disabled individuals. Nearly one third (29%) of Asian employees or those from other ethnic groups report having experienced some form of bullying or harassment compared with 18% of white employees. Employees with disabilities are at least twice as likely to report having experienced one or more forms of bullying and harassment (37%) compared with non-disabled employees (18%).

Emmott says: “Many organisations have anti-bullying and harassment policies, but changing people’s behaviour remains a challenge. Bullies don’t always recognise what they are doing and victims can be reluctant to complain. There is a real need for employers to explore the underlying issues, and consider for example if they should provide diversity training. People need to respect the contribution that others can make, regardless of gender, race and disability.”

Notes to Editors

• The CIPD has published a guide, Tackling bullying at work. This offers alternative ways to tackle the difficult issues surrounding bullying at work and suggests how to implement an effective policy. It can be downloaded from www.cipd.co.uk/guides

• The research report will be launched in full at CIPD’s Managing Change at Work Conference, on the 5 December 2006. For more information about the conference please visit www.cipd.co.uk/change

• The CIPD’s survey – How engaged are British employees? – was carried out by Kingston Business School, Kingston University, and MORI. This is the tenth survey on the employment relationship conducted by the CIPD.

• National ban bullying day takes place on the 7 November 2006. For more information visit http://www.andreaadamstrust.org/

• The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has over 127,500 members and is the leading professional body for those involved in the management and development of people.

Press enquiries
Emma Price, Robert Blevin, Gerwyn Davies or Hannah Smith
Tel: 020 8612 6400
Email: press@cipd.co.uk
Website: www.cipd.co.uk/press

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