Workplace bullying 'affecting employee health'

Date: 07/09/2009

Managers may want to invest more time and effort into team building conferences for employees to avoid the possibility of bullying in the workplace, following troubles linked with the issue in a new report.

According to this month's first issue of journal Sleep, those who find themselves victimised, harassed or intimidated by colleagues in their office have issues relating to sleep, which can lead onto other problems that seriously affect work and the atmosphere of the working environment.

Some of these include depression and more hostile behaviour, which can seriously impact further on other employees and perpetuate the issue further.

Isabelle Niedhammer, an epidemiologist and researcher at the School of Public Health & Population Science at the University College Dublin in Ireland, said: "Our study underlines the need to better understand and prevent occupational risk factors, such as bullying, for sleep disorders."

The Australian Associated Press recently revealed the results of a workplace survey in the Antipodes, finding that 25 per cent of 800 respondents had experienced bullying while in their job, highlighting the need for managers to keep a close eye on things and respond to any perceived issues.

Written by Michelle Fry

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