Workplace bullying is a growing problem but bosses are failing to take the problem seriously, according to a report released on 2 August 2006.

Four out of five people have been bullied at work but most are wary of complaining because they do not believe they will be taken seriously, according to a survey by Peninsula, an employment law firm. Just 11 per cent of 1,300 workers questioned said they would report workplace bullying to a superior, with only 9 per cent saying they thought their boss would take the complaint seriously.

This is despite 81 per cent of employees saying they had been bullied and 71 per cent saying they thought workplace bullying was on the increase. The survey reveals a sharp distinction between how employers and employees view the problem, with just 13 per cent of more than 2,000 employers surveyed acknowledging that bullying was an issue in their workplace.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, said: "One of the most serious concerns to come out of this research is that few employers believe their companies are suffering at the hands of bullying, yet a high percentage of employees have been victims. This suggests that workers do not feel confident enough to tell their bosses they are being bullied."

Mr Done said that in adopting such a stance employers were "attempting to brush the problem under the carpet, which can have serious consequences." Helen Green, a company secretary at Deutsche Bank, has been recently awarded £828,000 in damages after being driven to a mental breakdown by office bullies. The judge criticised Ms Green’s managers for being "weak and ineffectual" in the face of a longstanding bullying problem in their department.

Richard Martin, a partner at Speechly Bircham, said: "The Helen Green case serves as a salutary lesson to employers to stamp out behaviour of this kind at a very early stage, particularly when the liability of employers for the bullying and harassment carried out by their employees is increasing all the time." Employment experts pointed out that cases like Ms Green’s are rare and that employers are able to protect themselves.

Andrew Chamberlain, an employment lawyer at Addleshaw Goddard, said: "When any employee reports bullying or is known to have suffered ill health, it is crucial that firms closely monitor the situation and maintain accurate records to prove they have done so. If it goes to court then it is all too easy for evidence to become a case of one person’s word against another’s but, by maintaining accurate records and taking proactive action to manage the situation, firms will be better protected against such claims."

Michael Farrier, an employment expert at Boyes Turner, added: "This survey is a reminder to employers, particularly those with considerable resources, to be vigilant and introduce an effective equality and diversity policy as well as anti-bullying and harassment policies. It is vital that employers undertake annual equality and diversity training and monitoring, if they are to be able to demonstrate they take their obligations seriously."

Source: The Times