Far from falling, workplace bullying is taking increasingly subtle forms, with two-thirds of employees feeling that it is becoming more common in the UK, a new survey has revealed.
Research from the Chartered Management Institute found that office bullies were using increasingly subtle tactics to intimidate their victims, with much of it social in nature.
Around 70 per cent of the respondents reported that they had witnessed the misuse of power in the workplace as a tool to intimidate colleagues, with 68 per cent saying that they had witnessed undermining by overloading and criticism.
Other frequent forms of bullying included blocking opportunities for training and promotion (47 per cent), and threats about job security (43 per cent), while less subtle tactics included verbal insults (69 per cent) or the spreading of malicious rumours (53 per cent).
When it came to dealing with the problem, employers seemed to take a firm stance, with only one per cent of them admitting to turning a blind eye, although 71 per cent admitted to only spending one day sorting it out.
Jo Causon of the Chartered Management Institute said: "There is a major gap between what managers say they do to deal with bullying and the experiences of those who have been bullied at work.
"No single off-the-shelf policy will suit every organisation, but the organisational culture and management style should make it clear that bullying is unacceptable."
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