Those suffering from unfair treatment in the workplace do not have to tolerate this behaviour in silence. The law protects you from workplace bullying. Here are some of the most common forms of workplace bullying:

• Constant criticism of competent staff members without good reason.
• Belittling an employee by taking away his normal duties or assigning him trivial tasks beneath his level of experience.
• Assigning a burdensome workload or setting unrealistic deadlines in order to set an employee up for failure.
• Shouting at or berating of employees by a fellow employee who is not in a superior or managerial position within the business.
• Incessant nitpicking over trivial matters or unfair complaints about the employee's quality of work.
• Intentionally and regularly excluding an employee from workplace activities.
• Making an employee the repeated butt of jokes, which may also fall into the realm of racial or sexual harassment.
• Personal attacks and divulging personal information about an employee when the information has no bearing on their duties or responsibilities.

Being subjected to workplace bullying can damage the victim's physical health in addition to causing psychological problems. An employee's overall well-being and quality of life can greatly suffer from repeated exposure to acts of bullying in the workplace. Common ailments include headaches, ulcers, rashes, anxiety, loss of sleep, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, tearfulness and loss of self-confidence. Continued workplace bullying, if left unresolved, can potentially have a negative effect on the employer's business overall. An employer's decision to ignore workplace bullying can ultimately lead to one or more of the following outcomes:

• Reduction in amount and quality of work production.
• Loss of trained and experienced staff members.
• Lack of employee motivation due to reduced morale.
• Lost time due to employee absences because of poor health and stress.
• Payment of financial penalties ordered by the Employment Tribunal.

Under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a legal responsibility to see to the safety, health and welfare of their employees to a reasonable degree. An employer who does not comply with this mandate is in breach of that individual's contract of employment. As a result, that employee may have a claim that can be brought before the Employment Tribunal and the Civil court. Additionally, workplace bullying can potentially constitute racial or sexual discrimination. It may also be deemed a criminal offence under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, subjecting the offender to fines or even imprisonment.

Unless there is a reasonable likelihood of a violent, physical confrontation, victims of workplace bullying should start by making a direct request that the behaviour stop. If the request is ignored or denied, the next step is to speak with someone in senior management who has a legal responsibility to handle this type of behaviour in the workplace. Should that fail, then it's time to contact a solicitor with specialised knowledge of workplace bullying. Be sure to keep detailed notes of the incidents as they occur, including time, date, place, description of the incident, names of the harasser(s) and the names of any potential witnesses.

If you believe you have been the victim of workplace bullying, it is important to seek the immediate assistance of an employment law solicitor. Not only is workplace bullying a complicated area of employment law, it can also intersect with other issues such as harassment and discrimination based on race or sex. Contact us today to speak with a solicitor who specialises in matters of employment law. You can phone us on our helpline or fill out the contact form.