Following the controversy of allegedly racist remarks made on a reality TV show, businesses are being reminded that bullying, whether it is based on race, gender or any other group, is still an issue within UK business.
Although as many as 80% of businesses currently have an anti-bullying policy, more than half of all employees believe it is a problem in their workplace, according to research carried out by business consultancy, Croner.
Along with causing internal conflict within an organisation, businesses that are not seen to deal with discrimination and bullying could suffer damage to their reputation.
Richard Smith, of Croner, said: “Bullying is not only unacceptable on moral grounds, but may, if unchecked or badly handled, create serious problems and costs for an organisation due to poor morale and productivity, and high staff turnover.
“What many employers don’t realise is that they can be held vicariously liable for the bullying behaviour of their staff, even if they have no knowledge of employees’ acts and do not condone them.
“Organisations with a zero tolerance approach as part of a proactive bullying prevention policy are able to deal with the problem most effectively and minimise the risk of claims.
“Employees need to be involved in implementing such a policy, so we would strongly encourage companies to consult with them throughout the process.”
Extracted from : BusinessLink (businessguidence.co.uk)