A bit of banter in the workplace is one thing, but sometimes that can turn into something far more sinister. When it takes on the form of bullying, it can leave victims depressed, anxious, lacking self-esteem and, in more extreme cases, contemplating suicide. As many as 18.3m workdays are lost each year due to bullying and nearly half of stress-related illnesses are due to actions that overstep the mark. And it’s not just the cost of sick days that adds up for employers; court cases are increasingly common in this litigious day and age, and successful claimants can be awarded anything from £5,000 to £15,000.

　　“One person’s funny joke is another’s sexual harassment,” cautions Ann Copley, BPIF’s head of legal. “It can be just a bit of shopfloor banter until one person takes the hump.”

　　And that’s when it gets beyond a joke. But the key message for anyone being singled out is don’t despair: there are plenty of things that can be done. Tony Burke, Unite assistant general secretary, points out that the print industry as a whole takes the issue very seriously. Part of the national agreement between Unite and the BPIF contains a dignity at work clause.

　　“Bullying takes many different forms,” he says. “It can be racist, sexist or physical, but in general it tends to result in unfair pressure being placed on the individual. That pressure can come from management or even fellow workers.”

　　According to the TUC, bullying behaviour can take many forms. A member of staff can constantly be criticised and picked on in front of others or in private. The victim might be shouted at, have responsibilities removed or be assigned trivial tasks. It could involve a person regularly excluded from work activities or being overloaded with work and being given impossible deadlines.

　　“It’s demoralising for the individual,” adds Burke, “and it’s not good for workplace relations.”

　　So what steps should you take if you’re a victim of bullying? The first thing you need to do is make sure that other people in the workplace are aware that it’s going on. Any claim can fall down if the issue has not been raised with senior members of staff. Matt Witheridge, operation and campaigns manager at anti-bullying charity The Andrea Adams Trust, advises anyone experiencing bullying should also seek help and advice.

　　Increased awareness

　　“It is a very isolating experience,” says Witheridge. “It’s important to get good 　　support from family and friends C you need to let as many people as possible know. We have a national bullying helpline as well, while people can get all sorts of information on the internet. The unions are also very clued-up.”

　　Witheridge says that in the past 10 years, the situation for victims has improved, because while unions have always been cooperative, more HR departments are being tasked with making sure that no one is bullied at work.

　　“At some companies there’s even a harassment adviser C if an organisation has someone in this role they can be a victim’s first step for help,” he adds. “Many organisations have invested a lot of time and effort in having an anti-bullying strategy. GPs are also getting a lot more aware of the situation C it causes a lot of stress-related illness.”

　　Even if an organisation doesn’t have the resources to employ a harassment adviser there is plenty a victim of workplace bullying can do to put a stop to it.
In some instances it’s a good idea to confront the individual doing the bullying, as sometimes it might just be a case of someone not appreciating the impact of their behaviour.

　　“But in some situations, we advise not to do that and instead to let management know,” adds Witheridge. “It’s also important that others around you see what is going on. If more colleagues stepped in, it would reduce many bullying issues in the workplace. To do nothing is like standing by and watching someone getting mugged.”

　　Another sensible measure is to keep a log of incidents, according to Burke. “Then make a formal complaint. We would then press for the bully to be removed.”

　　Having something written down is only going to strengthen someone’s case, but it’s no use keeping the log if no one else knows about the bullying. This is often where a complaint falls down. “If you are keeping a log then you need to tell someone about it,” adds the BPIF’s Copley. “It isn’t good to suffer in silence.”

　　Many companies in the printing industry have already tried to tackle the problem head on by establishing their own anti-bullying policy, which is vital for any employer, according to Copley. “You need to have in place a ‘dignity at work’ policy, which sets out that the employer does not tolerate bullying in the workplace,” she adds.

　　If an employer does have such a policy in place, it can help if a case ever gets to a tribunal stage, but having one doesn’t mean that you can just pay lip service to it.

　　“The problem with policies is that they get written but they are then put in a drawer and forgotten about,” says Copley. “They need to be reviewed on a yearly basis and someone at director level needs to take ownership. If it is viewed as a live document, it can assist the wellbeing of a workplace.”

　　That can also be achieved if a company makes the policy easy for all staff to understand C putting up posters spelling out the company’s stance can also help.
For those companies that don’t take this seriously there could be severe repercussions C and not just in terms of issues such as staff morale. In extreme circumstances, workplace bullying can result in prosecution under 1997’s Protection from Harassment Act.

　　“Clever employment lawyers have used it in employment tribunals,” explains Copley. “It is quite dangerous because employers can find themselves liable for something a line manager has done.”

　　Having effective company procedures will help ensure an employer doesn’t get dragged into a case and Copley points out that not all bullying claims are successful, often because tribunals are pretty robust and claimants can sometimes ‘over-egg’ their grievances.

　　But that fact shouldn’t put off anyone who is genuinely being bullied in the workplace. As The Andrea Adams Trust’s Witheridge points out, looking after your workers can only bring benefits to all involved. “If you treat your staff with dignity you get the best out of your workforce. Bullying is bad, not just from a humanitarian point of view, but also from a business perspective, so having an anti-bullying culture in your company makes good business sense.”