A new campaign targeting workplace bullying is being launched as latest figures suggest a concerning number of workers across Sunraysia and The Mallee have been impacted.
The findings highlighted for National Bullying Prevention Week (11-17 August) also reveal many victims are suffering in silence without appropriate support.
New national research released this month from Bully Zero reveals seven in ten (71%) Australians have experienced bullying, and nearly one in three (31%) have been bullied in the past year.
27% of Australians say it’s occurred in the workplace, but most suffer in silence.
74% said no one stepped in to help, leaving people feeling “alone, powerless and angry.”
Among working Australians 23% are unaware of any bullying prevention policy at their workplace, 25% say policies exist but aren’t enforced and only 42% report working somewhere that actively enforces a bullying policy.
Bully Zero CEO, Janet Grima, says bullying can take a huge toll on workers’ physical and mental health, as well as local businesses and the wider community.
The economic cost of workplace bullying is staggering, with estimates placing the national burden between $6 and $36 billion annually.
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/job-office-team-business-internet-5382501/
