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Leamington law firm launches End Workplace Bullying campaign

A Leamington law firm is launching a campaign to end workplace bullying after the results of its survey found two in five people have experienced bullying or harassment at work.

Wright Hassall is launching its End Workplace Bullying campaign on October 25, calling for HR teams and workplaces to work together to end bullying and harassment in the office.

The day – which will become National Workplace Bullying and Harassment Awareness Day – will also see the company launch a free helpline offering employers and employees 30-minute advice around any query on bullying in the workplace until November 25.

The campaign comes on the back of Wright Hassall conducting a national survey of 2,135 people which found almost half (45%) believe that their workplace tolerates discriminatory banter at least some of the time, one-third more women experience bullying and/or harassment from a co-worker or supervisor than men, and 33% of people wouldn’t recommend a job at their organisation.

Worryingly, of those who experienced bullying, 62.5% chose not to report it, with Wright Hassall finding the most common reason was that the person believed nothing would be done, closely followed by a “lack of confidence in the reporting process” and “a fear of retaliation.”

Tina Chander, Head of Employment Law at Wright Hassall, said she hoped the campaign would bring bullying and harassment to the surface by supporting employees experiencing a toxic work environment to speak out.

She said: “These findings are very worrying.

“HR teams across the UK must make their workplaces safer. Otherwise, they risk high levels of sickness absence, a stressed and anxious workforce, losing talent, gaining a bad reputation and even, in some cases, an employment tribunal, which can be costly in more than one way.

“Training is part of the solution. But organisations need to do more to cultivate a culture and have set processes that are widely understood if someone is experiencing bullying and/or harassment.

“With one in three people saying they wouldn’t recommend a job at their workplace, evidently something needs to be done to strike out unwanted and intolerant behaviour.”

With October being one of the busiest times for workplace hiring, Wright Hassall is encouraging employers to join the conversation and look at ways they can educate and encourage employees about bullying and harassment in the workplace, whilst increasing support for those who experience it.

Tina added: “It’s not about shaming workplaces. It’s about shining the light on toxic behaviour and understanding that more can always be done to cultivate a better, safer workplace for all.”

Any employee or an employer seeking advice from Wright Hassall’s free support line can call 01926 732505 or email callitout@wrighthassall.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .