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Bullying in the Workplace: Survey Reports, 2007

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Bullying in the Workplace: Survey Reports, 2007 Bullying in the Workplace: Survey Reports, 2007 Report to The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment March 2007 Philip J. O’Connell Emma Calvert Dorothy Watson The Economic and Social Research Institute FOREWORD Tony Killeen TD Minister for Labour Affairs I am very pleased to welcome these survey reports by the Economic and Social Research Institute. This report was commissioned on foot of a recommendation of the August 2005 Report of the Expert Advisory Group on Workplace Bullying. This was that a survey, similar to that commissioned for the 2001 Report of the Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying be conducted. The intention was to measure the incidence of workplace bullying to establish a base line for future action and to underpin Government consideration of the matter. The ESRI has now completed two national surveys relating to workplace bullying, one of people at work including employees and self employed, and the second, of employers in both the public and private sectors. The results give us an up to date picture of the current situation and update the 2001 survey insofar as people at work are concerned. I wish to thank all of those who took time to participate in the survey – over 3,500 respondents in the worker survey and over 1,600 in the employer survey. The participants are the resource on which the conclusions are based. Taking this time whether by telephone or by written response is much appreciated – without you we would not have this valuable report. My thanks also go to Philip O’Connell, Emma Calvert and Dorothy Watson of ESRI for what is a top quality report. I look forward to its widespread dissemination and consideration. Tony Killeen TD Minister for Labour Affairs March 2007 Table of Contents Page List of Figures 3 List of Tables 4 Acknowledgements 7 Executive Summary 9 Part I: Bullying in the Workplace 19 Review of Research 19 Part II: Survey of Those at Work 29 Introduction 29 Design of the Survey of Those at Work 29 Results 33 Multivariate Modelling of Victimisation 55 Case Histories 61 Part III: Survey of Employers 67 Introduction 67 Design of Survey of Employers 67 Results 70 Appendix: Questionnaires 91 References 107 2 List of Figures Page Figure 2.1: Incidence of bullying classified by educational attainment 37 Figure 2.2: Percentage of respondents reporting bullying by sector 39 Figure 2.3: Incidence of bullying by size of firm 41 Figure 2.4: Formal policy on workplace bullying by sector 44 Figure 2.5: Incidence of bullying by formal policy 44 Figure 2.6: Respondent perceptions of perpetrator characteristics 47 Figure 3.1: Reported problems with bullying by sector 71 Figure 3.2: Reported problems with bullying by economic sector 72 Figure 3.3: Reported problems with bullying by organisation size 73 Figure 3.4: Reported problems with bullying by proportion workforce 74 female Figure 3.5: Reported problems with bullying by proportion of workforce 74 non-Irish nationals and under 25 years old Figure 3.6: Types of reported problems with bullying 75 Figure 3.7: Types of reported problems with bullying by sector 76 Figure 3.8: Types of bullying by economic sector 77 Figure 3.9: Types of bullying by organisation size 78 Figure 3.10: Formal policy on workplace bullying by sector 79 Figure 3.11: Formal policy on workplace bullying by organisation size 80 Figure 3.12: Effects of workplace bullying 88 Figure 3.13: Effects of workplace bullying by sector 89 List of Tables Page Table 1.1: Comparative studies on the prevalence rate of bullying in the 24 workplace among employees Table 1.2: Codes of Practice on Workplace Bullying 27 Table 2.1: Response outcomes 30 Table 2.2: Incidence of bullying and single instances of inappropriate 33 behaviour and sample numbers Table 2.3: Overall incidence of repeated bullying in the sample and 34 population Table 2.4: Incidence of bullying, by gender, 2007 and 2001 34 Table 2.5: Incidence of bullying classified according to employment 36 status and gender Table 2.6: Incidence of bullying classified by gender and age category 36 Table 2.7: Incidence of bullying classified by occupational group and 38 gender Table 2.8: Incidence of bullying classified by economic sector 38 Table 2.9: Incidence of bullying classified by employment contract 40 Table 2.10: Incidence of bullying classified by number of jobs held in 40 last 3 years Table 2.11: Incidence of bullying classified by organisational change in 42 preceding 12 months Table 2.12: Incidence of bullying classified by perceptions of relations 43 between staff and management in the workplace Table 2.13: Incidence of bullying classified by perceptions of intra-staff 43 relations in the workplace Table 2.14: Frequency with which bullying of the last six months has 45 taken place Table 2.15: Nature of bullying 46 Table 2.16: Sources of bullying 48 Table 2.17: Number of different categories of perpetrator 48 Table 2.18: Combinations of different types of perpetrators or sources of 49 bullying Table 2.19: Relationship between gender of victim and gender of 49 perpetrator(s) Table 2.20: Bullied respondents classified by whether or not they report 50 they have been bullied as an individual or as part of a larger group at work Table 2.21: Respondents’ responses to bullying 50 Table 2.22: Actions taken/considered in response to bullying 51 Table 2.23: Percentage of respondents who report that bullying had a 51 negative effect on life outside work Table 2.24: Score on scale of 1 to 10 for perceived impact of bullying on 52 life in general Table 2.25: Levels of psychological stress among respondents classified 53 by whether or not they are bullied by gender Table 2.26: Level of control over life among respondents classified by 54 whether or not they report being bullied Table 2.27: Single incidents of bullying classified according to 55 employment status and gender Table 2.28: Single incidents of bullying classified according to sector 55 and gender Table 2.29: Logistic Model of Bullying Victimisation, Individual 56 Characteristics Table 2.30: Logistic Model of Bullying Victimisation, Job and 58 Organisational Characteristics Table 2.31: Logistic Model of Bullying Victimisation, Combining 59 Individual with Job and Organisational Characteristics Table 3.1: Employers responding to the questionnaire in the first phase 68 Table 3.2: Employers responding to the questionnaire in the second 69 phase Table 3.3: Reported problems with workplace bullying 70 Table 3.4: General health and safety practices by sector 79 Table 3.5: Formal policy on workplace bullying by economic sector 80 Table 3.6: Percentage of respondent organisations reporting bullying as 81 a problem by formal policy and sector Table 3.7: Familiarity with Codes of Practice on workplace bullying 81 Table 3.8: Familiarity with Codes of Practice on workplace bullying by 82 sector Table 3.9: Familiarity with codes of practice on workplace bullying by 82 reported problems with bullying Table 3.10 Workplace bullying by familiarity with Codes of Practice 83 Table 3.11: Types of procedures in place to deal with workplace bullying 83 Table 3.12: Types of procedures in place to deal with workplace bullying 84 by sector Table 3.13: Procedures in place to deal with workplace bullying by 84 sector Table 3.14: Employer opinions concerning policies and procedures 84 Table 3.15: Employer opinions concerning workplace bullying by sector 85 Table 3.16: Employer opinions concerning workplace bullying by 85 economic sector Table 3.17: Employer opinions/formal policy on workplace bullying 86 Table 3.18: Types of pressures and challenges (% ranked first or second) 86 by sector Table 3.19: Organisational change by sector 87 Table 3.20: Organisational change by economic sector 87 Table 3.21: Change by reported problem with bullying 88 6 Acknowledgements This study was carried out on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. We would particularly like to thank Evelyn Daly, Danny Kelly, Martin Lynch, Tom Walsh and Joe Wilson for their insightful comments and guidance throughout the study. We would also like to express our gratitude to the staff of the ESRI Survey Unit, and, of course to the many respondents to both surveys, without whose cooperation this study would not have been possible. 7 8 Bullying in the Workplace: Survey Reports, 2007 Executive Summary Bullying is now recognised as a significant issue in the workplace, in Ireland as elsewhere. Research has shown that the implications for both individuals and organisations can be considerable. In Ireland, the importance of addressing workplace bullying has been recognised by Government, with the establishment of the Taskforce on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying in 1999 and the Expert Advisory Group on Workplace Bullying in 2004, whose report recommended that an up to date survey be carried out. This report, on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, presents the results of two national surveys relating to workplace bullying, one of individuals at work, the other of employers in both the public and private sectors. The Survey of Those at Work The survey of those at work1 was designed to ascertain the incidence, correlates and characteristics of bullying in Irish workplaces. The survey, which is a follow-up to a similar survey in 2001, was conducted by telephone in Autumn-Winter 2006/7 and covered a nationally representative sample of over 3,500 adults. The response rate was 36%. In addition to those currently at work, the survey sample also includes those who are not currently in work but who held a job within the last six months.
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