Workplace Bullying

Anti-bullying week falls between Monday 11th November to Friday 15th November this year, undertaking the theme ‘Choose Respect’. Often when we hear the word ‘bullying’, we instinctively associate it with children and young people in schools. However, whilst this is undoubtedly a common institution for bullying, the workplace has repeatedly fallen culprit to aggravating circumstances of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Bullying elicits the repetitive hurting of an individual whether this be physical or psychological. The behaviours of bullying and harassment make an individual feel intimidated or offended, and whilst bullying is not unlawful, harassment is listed as an illegal activity under the Equality Act 2010. Some examples of bullying and harassment include but are not limited to: the spreading of malicious rumours, regularly picking on or undermining someone, denying an individual training opportunities and unfair treatment.

The increasing presence of technology in our personal lives, means that we are often unable to separate our work lives from our home lives. Dismally, this also denotes that bullying experienced in the workplace does not necessarily stop when you’re outside of the office. In fact, it can happen by phone, email, social media and even by letter. In addition to face-to-face, cyber-bullying is just as common as conventional bullying in the workplace. Bullying allegations are most frequently faced by managers or individuals in positions of power, which may not come as such a surprise to the majority.

Specifically, in relation to the legal sector, bullying in the workplace is a prevalent issue. In 2019, an International Bar Association Survey of around 7,000 individuals in the legal sector, highlighted 1 in 2 female respondents and 1 in 3 male respondents as having been bullied at work, yet in 57% of bullying cases the incident was never reported. The shameful figures do not stop there, 1 in 3 female respondents and 1 in 14 male respondents reported having been sexually harassed in a workplace context, even more shockingly in 75% of cases the incident was never reported.

Despite the previously mentioned study having been conducted 5 years ago, at present, bullying still remains an exceedingly common concern within the legal sector. In 2023, there was a 95% augmentation in the number of people contacting LawCare, the reason behind this being for support in dealing with serious issues like bullying, harassment or discrimination at work.

The impacts of bullying on an individual can be absolutely devastating, it brings rise to several health risks and can have a significant influence on job performance. In regard to health risks, bullying can trigger both physiological and physical factors, like: high blood pressure, panic attacks, stress, headaches, muscle tension, impact on sleep quality and duration, and feelings of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the impact on an individual’s ability to perform their job to a sufficient standard can be critical. Individuals often experiencing workplace bullying develop an inability to concentrate, a loss of self-esteem and reduced productivity.

For employers, bullying evidently creates a hostile workplace environment, in addition to reduced staff absenteeism, increased costs of having to recruit and train new employees, and a much greater risk of legal action being taken against the company.

There may be instances where victims of workplace bullying have the legal grounds to seek compensation for damages, emotional distress, or lost wages. This is in cases where bullying falls under laws covered by the Equality Act 2010 relating to harassment, discrimination, or occupational health and safety. If claims become public, this can have a monumental impact on the public perception of a law practice, stirring negative publicity and reputational damage, which may cause individuals to steer away from the firm.

Employers have an ethical responsibility to create a safe work environment for their employees, therefore it is integral that they implement policies to address and prevent workplace bullying. In some cases, regulatory bodies may require employers to implement such policies, and non-compliance would lead to profound consequences, like, fines, penalties, or legal sanctions.

So, what can employers do to foster a culture that condemns bullying? To begin with it is paramount to create a respectful and supportive work environment, this action is to be closely followed by the implementation of anti-bullying policies. Finally, employers should encourage the reporting of bullying incidents, since it falls under an employers responsibility, any bullying, harassment, or discrimination complaint should be taken seriously and investigated.

If you are being bullied at work, and the problem cannot be resolved informally, please reach out and speak with your Manager, HR department, or Trade Union representative, to try and sort the issue. It is not okay to feel victimised at work due to the horrific effects of bullying, no matter the superiority or position of the individual doing the bullying, it is important to always report it. If the situation is taking a significant toll on your mental wellbeing, LawCare are the mental health charity for the legal sector and are committed to providing support and advice to legal professionals struggling with mental health issues. There is never a circumstance in which bullying is ok.