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Four practical tips to help HR managers deal with workplace bullying compassionately, take complaints seriously and reassure employees who come forward.

How home working positively impacted UK banking and financial services culture, with employees reporting better wellbeing, work-life balance and team relationships.

Nearly 15% of people experience mental health challenges in the workplace and 34% say work is the biggest cause of stress in their lives. Whilst there are multiple potential causes of poor wellbeing, including being over-stretched, or under-paid, our research has highlighted the impact of problematic behaviour such as bullying, discrimination or harassment. 2 in 5 people have experienced culture-damaging behaviours at work, it’s an issue that is pervasive, and prevalent. However it’s also an issue that can be overcome, with the correct awareness, and intervention strategy.

Sexism is the prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination on the basis of sex and workplace sexism can occur in a number of forms, through so-called “banter” and jokes, the language used, the denial of jobs or progression, a gender pay gap, or even sexual harassent.

According to research by TUC 70% of ethnic minority respondents said they had experienced racial discrimination harassment at work in the five years leading up to 2016 and another study by them in 2022 found that more than 120,000 workers from ethnic minority backgrounds have quit their jobs because of racism in the workplace. The fact remains that racism is sadly still rife in the workplace and is prevalent in practically every industry, from legal to banking, from football clubs to the NHS, and from retail to hospitality.

Workplace inequality is when people from different backgrounds or with different protected characteristics are treated differently. Inequity on the other hand, is when certain groups of people face outcomes because of inequality, such as unconscious bias, pay gaps, disparity in promotions or fewer opportunities, increased incidents of bullying, discrimination and harassment, and higher rates of burnout.

Workplace incivilities are described as “low-intensity deviant behaviour with ambiguous intent to harm the target. Uncivil behaviours are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others.” Incivilities might be more commonly known to some as micro-aggressions or micro-incivilities, though the difference between “aggressions” and “incivilities” lies more with associations of the two, the former said to often put people more on the defence.

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different people based on their identity or protected characteristic(s). Though many know it is wrong and are taught this from a young age, workplace discrimination still continues to be an issue. Under the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristics which make it against the law to be discriminated against are:

Workplace bullying and harassment is when someone is made to feel unsafe, unappreciated, unimportant or unwelcome. This can be through a number of ways and you can find out more in these links about the different types of bullying behaviour and harassment that can happen. It is a sadly prevalent issue going on within many workplaces that employers often struggle to deal with effectively but in not doing so, they can have serious knock-on effects not just for the victims but for the business as well.

Workplace absenteeism is defined as when employees are regularly skipping work without an apparent reason. However, that may be because they are not enjoying their job which could be due to experiencing bullying, harassment & discrimination or feeling their workplace’s culture is toxic and they feel too afraid to speak up about and report it. For some, instead of simply not showing up, they may call in sick or take prolonged sick leave. Either way, the causes of workplace absenteeism – specifically the ones named above – must be addressed if organisations want to reduce it.