HSE condemns bullying in the workplace

E147:05 8 November 2005

The Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive strongly condemn any form of harassment or bullying at work and are supporters of Ban Bullying At Work Day (7 November 2005).

Bullying is a form of organisational violence and, if not dealt with properly, is a potential source of work-related stress (WRS). To help tackle WRS, HSE launched the Stress Management Standards (SMS) and guidance in November 2004. The Management Standards apply to six aspects of working that research has shown as potential stressors: Control, Demands, Support, Relationships, Role, Change. The relationships standard covers bullying.

Chris Rowe, Head of the Stress Programme Team at HSE is keen to advocate partnership as the way forward: "We believe strongly that by working in partnership with other bodies, such as the Andrea Adams Trust, the TUC and other Government Departments. We can use the Stress Management Standards to work with and help organisations tackle the issue of workplace bullying in a positive way."

The HSE is currently supporting approximately 80 organisations from sectors shown to have the highest incidence of illness attributed to WRS. These organisations are applying the SMS process in their workplace. This work will provide case studies that will enable organisations to see how the Stress Management Standards help reduce stress in the workplace.

Existing HSE guidance "Real Solutions, Real People" includes practical examples of how organisations have approached work-related stress, including problems with relationships at work. The Stress Management Standards, guidance and tools are available free of charge from the HSE website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/

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