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Unfair Treatment and Inappropriate Behaviour in the Workplace

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.  Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission – (website)
  2. Comcare, Australian Government, Bullying in the workplace, A guide to prevention for managers and supervisors (website)
  3. Mike Dolan, Deputy CEO, Comcare, Australian Government – Workplace Bullying Intervention Campaign 2006-2007 (website)
  4. WorkSafe Victoria (website)