Bullying in the workplace: is it out of control?

Gordon Brown's temper may have got the better of him in the past, but is he a victim of his own rage by simply not communicating better with staff? In the public sector there is already a climate of fear caused by the recession so how can managers lead by example, asks Eifion Rees

Shouting and swearing, manhandling secretaries and grabbing deputy chiefs of staff by their lapels – in terms of initiatives to highlight workplace bullying, this may just be government at its most effective.

Once described by his predecessor as a "big clunking fist", the prime minister must this week be ruing the epithet, as the media has picked apart his behaviour, but the row over whether bullying exists in Downing Street has once again raised the serious issue of workplace bullying in the public sector, with some experts concerned that existing procedures may not be enough to combat such behaviour, particularly in tough times.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is precise in its definition: bullying is "offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient".

Workplace bullying is a serious issue, believed to cost employers more than £2bn a year in sick pay, staff turnover and lower productivity. According to 2007 figures from the Andrea Adams Trust, more than 90% of personnel practitioners say bullying is occurring in their organisations.

Beating anger

Mike Fisher, director of the British Association of Anger Management and author of Beating Anger, says anger is the root cause of bullying, with stress a major contributor – those who feel out of their depth in the workplace seek to assert themselves, sometimes aggressively.

"Bullies in senior positions project their anger on to subordinates because they can, and the more senior they are, the fewer people able to challenge their authority, to get them to reflect upon their actions," he says.

"There is an expectation that individuals in management roles already have the training, resources and emotional intelligence to deal with those feelings, and that isn't true."

Andrew Rawnsley's book on Gordon Brown certainly paints a picture of a man not malicious, but in thrall to an uncontrollable temper.

Fisher says the workplace bully can be a victim of their own rage, and more resources are needed to help them realise the impact of their behaviour, control their actions, and learn to communicate and express themselves better.

The problem is worse in the public sector, according to Lyn Witheridge, chief executive of workplace bullying consultancy the Andrea Adams Trust– and it isn't just managers dishing it out.

"Jobs and budget cuts mean there is a lot of fear about," she says. "Managers are concerned that strong leadership could be perceived as being bullying, while a lack of robust procedures to deal with the pressure means staff are blaming and bullying managers more than ever."

Workplace procedures are failing everyone

The experts agree workplace procedures are failing everyone – even in the corridors of power. Jonathan Baume, general secretary of senior public servants' union the FDA, has acknowledged the behaviour of some ministers and special advisers "falls short of what is acceptable on occasions", and if informal complaints against them don't work, civil servants "generally either have to 'grin and bear it'... or seek a transfer".

The problem, says Witheridge, is that some public sector policy authors either haven't researched their workplace cultures properly, or see the rules as tick-box exercises.

"They post up policies on the intranet but neglect to educate their workforce about the definitions of workplace bullying, talk to them or explain formal or informal complaints procedures. Recognition and awareness of bullying is essential if it is to be legitimately challenged."

One person's bully is another's strong leader, however and in some instances, passion and strong feelings can be misconstrued (though perhaps not if you're being grabbed by the lapels), particularly if those who feel bullied have encountered aggression elsewhere in their lives.

"Appropriate anger is designed to cut through the waffle to get the job done, but that doesn't mean having to scream at people," says Fisher. "Anger is not good and bad; we simply have to learn to communicate and express strong feelings properly. We also have to learn how not to be scared when someone else is being angry – to be assertive when the line has been crossed, but also to listen, and not take it personally."

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