Workplace bullying affects one in seven

05/09/2008

One in seven of the UK workforce has experienced some form of bullying at work, according to new research by the TUC.

The poll found that more than a fifth of workers believe bullying is a problem in their organisation. However, the issue is more prevalent in the public sector where 19% said it was an issue, compared to only 12% in the private sector.

People in professional and associate professional jobs are the most likely to be bullied (16%), and the poll recorded more male victims of bullying than female – 16% compared to only 12% of women.

Higher earning workers are also more likely to come across workplace bullying, the TUC said. For those earning between £20,000 and £60,000 the percentage is 17%, compared to only 13% of those earning less than £20,000. However the figure drops to 7% once wages climb above £60,000.

“This level of bullying at work is completely unacceptable,” said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

“It is particularly disturbing that more people complain of bullying in the public sector. 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.”