Bullying in the workplace is on the rise, according to a recent survey conducted by employee union Unison. The number of people who claim to be suffering at the hands of bullies has increased dramatically from 1997, as reported by the survey.

The study took into account 7,000 employees who responded to questions about bullying and various forms of intimidation and harassment that are prevalent at work. Of these, about a third claimed that they had been bullied in the past 6 months. The respondents defined bullying as acts involving withholding of information, exclusion of some workers, secrecy, intimidation, rudeness, excessive surveillance at work and undue criticism.

80% of the bullied victims said their physical and mental health has been affected by such disagreeable behaviour. A third of these people found it necessary to take leave or even resign from work in the worst cases. 91% of respondents were unhappy with the fact that bullies were allowed to continue with such behaviour. They said that they were too scared to make a complaint regarding this.

The General Secretary of Unison said that employers must realise the value of employees and understand that helping them work in a decent, comfortable environment is good for the productivity of the company. If employees are forced to stay away from work owing to bullying, employers must take immediate steps to ensure that their problems are sorted out and that they are able to resume duties in a conducive atmosphere.

Unison has made a strong appeal for increased governmental regulations to tackle this problem. Proactive measures from the government are very necessary, especially in light of the recent report stating that 13.7 million workdays are lost due to problems like depression and work stress that are caused by bullying.

All organisations need to make appropriate efforts to protect the well-being of staff. CIPD courses are easily accessible and accredited training is provided by reputable companies such as Workplace Law; the Certificate in HR Practice imparts training and help to managers in the preparation of appropriate policies and procedures to successfully help employers tackle bullying and stress in the workplace.