Research has shown that on average, one-fifth of employees feel bullied by their manager in spite of growing employment law regulations in place to tackle this issue and reduce intimidation at work. Around 28 per cent of staff admit to feeling intimidated by a co-worker.
However, what may be at the root of this problem is that only 8 per cent of workers revealed that they had reported instances of bullying whilst nearly 75 per cent will tell their partner and 24 per cent will confide in a colleague.
Studies suggest that men are less likely to feel picked on at work whereas a high percentage of women have felt victimised at some point in their working career. Men are also found to be more intimidating than women on average.
What can employers do to show due care towards their employees and to minimise the instances of bullying in the workplace? HR consultancy can advise on the regulations and type of HR policies that can be put in place. However, one of the biggest issues is that allegations are not investigated or taken seriously. Addressing bullying head on will ensure you have a positive working environment and well motivated staff.
Although it is positive that employees can talk to colleagues, employers need to develop a culture where people feel able to talk to senior managers and human resources.
Around 50 per cent of people feel victimised because of their appearance and another 41 per cent felt that bullies were jealous of their ability and 29 per cent cite 'status envy' as the culprit. This issue has a serious impact on the productivity of your workforce as many who feel bullied will actively look for new employment and many will find their personal life becomes affected by this kind of intimidation.
At Northgate Arinso we can advise you on all aspects of employment law and human resources policy.