Government spending cuts are fuelling workplace bullying and “silencing” people worried about losing their jobs, a union claimed today.

Unison said a survey of 6,000 staff showed one in three were being bullied, with the highest rates in local government, higher education and schools.

Many of the victims said bullying had coincided with staff cutbacks or a change of manager, with one in four complaining that their boss had been tougher since cuts set in.

Bullied workers said they suffered from mental stress, anxiety and anger and had hit their motivation.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Workers are stuck in a living hell, as they are faced with a double whammy of cuts and bullying.

“Our results show that bosses are failing to clamp down on workplace bullying and staff are too scared to raise concerns in the current climate of job cuts.

“There is more pressure than ever from management and the levels of stress are soaring.”

Just over a third of those surveyed said they had been bullied in the last six months, with a further 27 per cent saying they had witnessed bullying.

The problem was worst in London, where almost half of workers said they had been bullied, compared to 29 per cent in Wales.

More than half of those bullied said they had considered looking for another job.

 

Topics