Despite the #MeToo movement, a quarter of employees (24%) think bullying and harassment are ‘swept under the carpet’ by their employers, according to a new report from the CIPD, the UK’s professional body for HR and people development. The report reveals that one in 10 employees report being bullied or harassed via email or social media, and/or by phone or text. It also found that 53% victims of workplace bullying/harassment (over the last three years) did not report the latest incident. What’s more shocking is that 40% of those victims said that their manager was responsible for the bullying/harassment.
The report, based on two large scale surveys (one of employers and one of employees), shows that 15% of workers have experienced bullying in the last three years, while 4% say they’ve been sexually harassed at work and 8% have experienced other forms of harassment. Being undermined or humiliated in their job, receiving persistent unwarranted criticism and getting unwanted personal remarks were the three most common forms of bullying and harassment. As a result, the CIPD has called on organisations to train managers to be more effective at managing workplace conflict.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
One of the top barriers to effective conflict management is that managers don’t have the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour, according to a third of employers. Only 40% of line managers say they have had people management training, leading the CIPD to urge organisations to properly train them, including how to prevent and tackle conflict.
On a positive note, the report does find evidence that recent sexual harassment scandals and the #MeToo movement have had a positive impact. For example, a third of workers say they are more confident challenging sexual harassment than they were two years ago.
WAKE-UP CALL
“Managers should be important role models, set expectations of behaviour around dignity and respect, and gain the trust of their team,” states Rachel Suff, Senior Employment Relations Adviser at the CIPD. The number of managers who are being blamed for harassment and bullying should serve as a wake-up call to employers to put training managers at the heart of efforts to prevent inappropriate workplace behaviour.”
CIPD research shows that managers who’ve received training can help to “stop conflict from occurring and are much better at fostering healthy relationships in their team”, confirms Suff. “And when conflict does occur, they can help to resolve the issue more quickly and effectively.”
GUIDELINES
In response to the findings, the CIPD is calling for employers to:
• Increase investment in people management training for managers, and provide them with specific training to help them prevent and manage conflict at work, such as having difficult conversations.
• Encourage a speak up culture with a clear complaints procedure that’s well-publicised, so staff know how to raise concerns, and who to turn to if their manager is the instigator.
• Be aware that there could be times when it’s appropriate to try and resolve the issue informally first, given that bullying and harassment can cover a wide spectrum of behaviour that may, in some cases, be unintentional.
The CIPD has published guidelines for employers, along with the latest report. The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission also issued new guidance for employers on how to protect their employees from discrimination, victimisation and harassment, just last week (as reported). It has also called for employers to step up action against misconduct and protect their staff from harassment.
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