Recent news events have brought the issue of workplace bullying to the nation’s attention and companies across the UK are no doubt questioning whether their company has a culture of bullying and if so, how should they be protecting employees and defending themselves against potential legal implications as well as promoting a positive and supportive workplace culture?

Achieving high levels of performance from people at work is essential in today’s competitive market place. Organisations should treat any form of harassment or bullying seriously, not just because of the legal implications, but because it can lead to under-performance at work and a workplace environment which is free from hostility enables people to contribute more effectively to organisational success and to achieve higher levels of job satisfaction.

An organisation’s public image can be badly damaged when incidents of harassment occur, particularly when they attract media attention. This can affect relationships between an employer, their current and future employees, as well as their customers.

Employees can be subject to high levels of stress which can reduce engagement and may lead to higher labour turnover, increased sickness absence and less productive and effective teams.

Organisations should aim to develop a culture in which harassment is known to be unacceptable and where individuals are confident enough to bring complaints without fear of ridicule or reprisal. Everybody needs to feel responsible for challenging all forms of harassment and for upholding personal dignity.

For more information on how to respond to workplace bullying and harassment contact us or subscribe to our E:Newsletter