The Standard – Local – P09

Most workplace bullying victims suffer in silence

More than half of employees have experienced bullying in the workplace, but 40 percent stay silent about such incidents, a survey found.

The Vital Employee Service Consultancy of the Christian Family Service Centre interviewed 509 employees in May.

More than 80 percent said the bullying consisted of insults and pranks, with 70 percent of the bullies being their superiors.

Last Wednesday a worker who was allegedly bullied attacked eight colleagues with a knife while traveling in a company coach.

The survey found 53 percent said they have experienced bullying, 64 percent were maliciously criticized and 50 percent said they were forced to do extra work.

Despite the bullying, 42 percent said they would stay silent and only 12 percent would complain.

This is mainly due to a lack of courage and confidence and also the fear of facing revenge, said principal consultant Suen Lap-man. The bullied workers do not know how to speak out.

Besides, 52 percent of respondents said their colleagues would not interfere.

Although 55 percent said their employers know bullying is occurring, 53 percent said management would not care about it.

The possible reason is that it is difficult for the management to judge who is right or wrong as they do not have enough resources to find out the truth and they lack strategies to deal with the issue, Suen said.

He also said some firms are too small to move employees to other positions to avoid the bully.

Vital senior manager Vicky Ng Wai-ki said workplace bullying can lead to serious consequences for the victim if not properly resolved, such as depression or suicidal thoughts.

She believed last weeks incident in which the alleged bullied worker attacked his colleagues was an extreme case.

The consultancy suggested that companies strengthen communication between management and staff, establish an internal complaints system that handles anonymous complaints and engage employees in workshops to learn emotional and conflict management skills.