The nationally representative survey of over 1,000 UK employees conducted by Leamington law firm Wright Hassall found that almost one in two people have experienced workplace bullying, including receiving unfair criticism or blame, being undermined, offensive jokes, and verbal abuse such as shouting at work.

Of those surveyed, 96 employees were based in the West Midlands, where 44 per cent have experienced a form of workplace bullying.

More than one in ten employees reported experiencing:

• Abrupt emails (25 per cent)
• Being undermined or having their work undermined (20 per cent)
• Unfair criticism or blame (17.7 per cent)
• Offensive jokes (11 per cent)

Nine per cent of those surveyed in the West Midlands also reported experiencing verbal abuse, and nine per cent said they have experienced exclusion or isolation, while six per cent reported having rumours or false information spread about them.

Worryingly, 31 per cent of people in West Midlands do not believe their company fosters a culture where they can speak up against workplace bullying, and just 16 per cent of those surveyed reported their experiences to HR compared to the national average of 28 per cent.

When asked about training, only 31 per cent of those surveyed had received training on workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Tina Chander, Head of Employment at Wright Hassall, says: “It’s worrying to see that 50 per cent of people have left or considered leaving a role because of bad behaviour.

“Many workplaces try and brush off some of these behaviours such as abrupt emails, isolation, or a joke that offends someone, but the reality is that these are bullying behaviours and more needs to be done to change the toxic culture of workplaces so that people are not suffering.

“Training is part of the solution, but organisations need to do more to cultivate a culture and have set processes that are widely understood if someone is experiencing bullying and/or harassment.”

The figures have been released on End Workplace Bullying Day (October 25), a campaign launched by Wright Hassall to encourage HR teams and workplaces to advocate against bullying and harassment which is now in its second year.

As part of this, the firm has launched a free month-long helpline for both employees and employers to get advice around workplace bullying.

The campaign is being backed by Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, who joined Tina for a special podcast on the topic.

He said: “When you work together, you can achieve great things. Creating a workplace where people feel valued, understood and like they are participating in a collective endeavour is so important, and sadly too many organisations do not start from this position.

“Workplace bullying can take so many different forms, and this is an extremely important initiative that brings this to light.”

The free helpline for both employees and employers to get advice around workplace bullying can be contacted at 01926 880711.

The podcast is available by visiting https://www.wrighthassall.co.uk/.