Human Resources: Survey Says a Third of Public Workforce Witness Bullying

The state government survey of thousands of Victorian public workers revealed that over one-third had witnessed an incident of workplace bullying since last September.

Another two-fifths claim to have been at the receiving end of bullying, three per cent of which had submitted a formal complaint.

Approximately 62,600 public service workers   were asked to participate in the survey and a reported 18,500 people responded. This large sample reportedly indicate that the results are “highly reliable” due to the large size of the sample.

The opposition implied that the results indicate a growing problem in Victoria’s public workforce. They believe the problem is compounded by the Baillieu Government’s intention to cull 4200 bureaucrats.
Victorian Parliament passed “Brodie’s Law” law year which reformed existing offences of stalking  so that it clearly covers serious bullying or harassment.  Now the new legislation potentially covers threats and abusive language or any act that seems to indicate stalking.

WorkSafe has yet to prosecute a state government department for bullying despite rumours of a growing culture of stress within the public service in areas such as youth justice and prisons.

The extent of workplace bullying in Australia is undetermined, which enforces the beliefs of some that a Senate inquiry is currently needed.

The extent of bullying in Australian workplaces is unclear – a reason for a Senate inquiry into the issue under way at the moment. Reports have indicates that Victoria suffers from a “relatively high figure” number of  bullying and harassment incidents due to a workplace education campaign that potentially put mental stress.

The median average of weeks taken off by victims of workplace bullies was 13.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/a-third-of-public-service-witness-bullying-20120912-25ssk.html#ixzz26aBJ8dYi