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The Effect of Workplace Bullying

Apart from being totally unacceptable behaviour, bullying or harassment is humiliating and distressing for the victims.

At an organisational level bullying creates an intimidating and uncomfortable environment for other employees which impacts on staff morale, service quality, productivity and staff recruitment and retention. 

Individuals who are being bullied can become stressed, anxious, depressed, physically ill, sleep deprived, withdrawn, aggressive or vengeful. These symptoms may be reflected through:

  • absenteeism;
  • reduced efficiency and productivity;
  • reduction of service delivery to clients;
  • low morale;
  • loss of self-esteem and self-confidence; and
  • significant social and health costs for individual employees.

The detrimental effects of workplace bullying are seldom limited to just the target employee, and can spread within the work unit or even further and may lead to:

  • erosion of employee loyalty and commitment;
  • an unsafe work environment;
  • possible workers compensation issues;
  • loss of skilled, experienced employees through resignation;
  • legal risks and costs for the department;
  • increased recruitment and training costs; and
  • gaining a reputation as having a difficult or unpleasant workplace culture.

Unfair treatment and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace is becoming a major concern:

  • using international research, The Beyond Bullying Association estimated that in 2001 between 400,000 to two million Australians would experience inappropriate in the workplace1
  •  the estimated cost of bullying in Australia was between $6 billion and $36 billion per annum when hidden and lost opportunity costs are considered.1
  • workers’ compensation claims that result from bullying are often high cost claims because employees are reluctant to return to their workplace.2
  • the average bullying-related Comcare workers’ compensation claim cost for 05/06 was $130,0003
  • bullying accounts for around 25% of workers’ compensation claims for psychological injury.3
  • a Victorian WorkSafe survey of workers in November 2006 found 14% of respondents had been exposed to bullying at work.4
  • Victorian workers compensation claims for bullying rose from 483 in 2000/01 to 739 in 2005/06 (although this is relatively low in context to the number of other workers’ compensation claims it does indicate that community attitudes to workplace bullying have hardened, that it should not be tolerated and must be reported).4

Sources:

  1.  HREOC – FACT SHEET: Workplace bullying (www.hreoc.gov.au)
  2. Comcare, Australian Government, Bullying in the workplace, A guide to prevention for managers and supervisors (www.comcare.gov.au)
  3. Mike Dolan, Deputy CEO, Comcare, Australian Government – Workplace Bullying Intervention Campaign 2006-2007 (www.comcare.gov.au)
  4. WorkSafe Victoria (www.worksafe.vic.gov.au)