It seems that workplace bullying is becoming a big problem in New Zealand, with more than one in five people being bullied, according to an expert.
Allan Halse, Director of CultureSafe NZ, a consultancy firm that represents workplace bullying victims, shared that information during a public meeting recently held in Palmerston North. His pronouncement was based on a study conducted in 2013 by the Public Service Association, wherein one third of the 16,000 respondents reported they experience bullying in the previous six months. Meanwhile, one out of the four survey participants said they were bullied every once in a while.
Halse added that his firm has handled over 120 cases of employees being bullied at work since CultureSafe opened its doors 18 months ago. Currently, the firm has around 50 cases and most of it are workplace bullying complaints. The CultureSafe founder also shared that 75 percent of his cases involved management bullying their employees.
Unfortunately, management bullying their employees is a sad but brutal fact, given that some of today’s highly competitive organizations has adopted a tough and sometimes cruel work culture just to keep up with competitors,or to stay on top of their game. Rising expenses either on product cost, manpower and other expenditures needed to keep a company running, has forced some organizations to tighten their purses, with some demanding more work for the same budget or even the same pay.
The responsibility of ensuring that employees are not bullied at work does not only fall upon the shoulders of human resource professionals, organization leaders also need to take a stand against workplace bullying.
To read more about rising number of workplace bullying in New Zealand, click here.
