SIA Event
Wrap Up
Preventing bullying at work.
Are you doing enough?
KATE TELFER
Bullying can happen in any workplace and is
best dealt with by taking steps to prevent it long before it becomes a risk to
health and safety, WorkSafe Victoria states in its ‘Preventing and responding
to bullying at work', Edition 3, June 2009.
Ooonagh Barron, Senior Project Officer,
WorkSafe Victoria and Barry Toseland, Senior Inspector, Bullying Prevention
Unit, WorkSafe Victoria, spoke to guests during the recent SIA Bullying
Prevention breakfast and encouraged a greater understanding of the risks
associated with bullying in the workplace.
Workplace bullying, both direct and
indirect, accounts for some 735 calls, per month, to WorkSafe Victoria; 80
requiring intervention. In the last 12 months, more than 14 per cent of
Victorian workers reported having been bullied and more than 25 per cent reported
witnessing bullying. This costs Victorian businesses more than $57million a
year and WorkSafe Victoria has estimated that the full cost of workplace
bullying, in lost productivity and absenteeism, is around $3billion a year
nationally.
Barron suggested that the impact of
workplace bullying is wide spread. Whilst it can have tangible financial
effects on an organisation through a reduction in efficiency and productivity,
it's often the things less obvious such as poor morale leading to an erosion of
loyalty and commitment that has lasting effects on an organisation and its culture.
A WorkSafe Victoria evaluation on workplace
bullying showed that in all cases, the investigation process appeared painful
for all concerned. It demonstrated the particularly painful task of talking
about what had happened repeatedly without often any movement towards a
resolution.
Its ‘Preventing and responding to bullying
at work' guide suggests five key work environment risk factors that can
contribute to bullying are organisational change; negative leadership styles;
lack of appropriate work systems; poor workplace relationships and workforce
characteristics. Bullying, Barron and
Toseland said, can arise from a number of interrelated risk factors and
workplaces should use this as the basis for implementing workplace policy,
procedure and training.
For further information and support including
how to comply with the law, tools to assist, identify and address work
environment risk factors, and information for employees on what to do if
bullying happens to you contact the WorkSafe Advisory Service 1800 136 089 or
visit worksafe.vic.gov.au/bullying