Half of UK workers say their workplace does not take reports of bullying seriously, research has found, as experts urge firms to create work cultures where staff feel safe to disclose incidents.
Gemma Bullivant, HR coach and consultant, described the findings as “disappointing”. Employers have a “duty of care” to support employees in speaking up about bullying, she said. “This is achieved through a mix of the right leadership and management behaviours, and regular communication and education for employees and managers.
“We need to create robust policies, ensure employees are aware and understand them, and then crucially create the right environment for these policies to be applied,” said Bullivant. “Getting these basics right is not only our moral duty, but a commercial priority too.”
She added that psychological safety sat “at the heart” of workplace culture. “We know we have a psychologically safe culture when employees feel safe to challenge, ask questions, raise concerns and speak up, without fear of reprimand or detrimental treatment,” she said.
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