July 20, 2010
Employers and their staff should be taking all the necessary measures to combat bullying in the workplace and safeguard mental health, a prominent charity has argued.
Marginalised employees and those suffering the prejudiced actions of colleagues and their employers should approach a senior member of staff and tackle the problem at its source, claims Emma Mamo, Policy and Campaigns Manager at mental health charity Mind.
According to Ms Mamo, senior members of staff have an obligation to resolve bullying issues and seek out the views from both culprit and victim when challenging workplace bullying.
Ms Mamo advised employers to start off by having a "quiet word" with the perpetrator to try to resolve the issue, thereby avoiding the need for staff to undergo “stress” and “depression” or being signed off sick as a result of bullying.
"Feeling victimised and fearful, day in day out while you are trying to do your job is an obvious path to unhappiness, and no workplace should take bullying lightly," she added. "Not only does it undermine performance at work, but it can have repercussions for mental health."
Since the recession, bullying in the workplace has risen at an alarming rate and increased claims to employment tribunals show that employees are no longer “suffering in silence”. However, that does not mean all employers and colleagues are being held accountable for their actions.
If you’ve fallen victim to workplace bullying, employment law solicitors can help solve the problem and challenge culprits.
