25/01/2008

News Item

Educating bullies could save billions

BILLIONS of dollars in compensation would be saved each year if employers were more open about their policies on bullying as well as health and safety, says a workplace lawyer.

Forty per cent of Australia's workforce are unaware of these vital workplace policies such as Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) and bullying, according to an online poll conducted by Harmers Workplace Lawyers.

Due to employer neglect, workplace bullying already costs Australia between $6 billion and $13 billion each year, a figure that could be easily reduced with better education, it says.

"Nearly a half of all those surveyed admitted that they had never received any formal training or guidance with regards to workplace bullying or OH&S issues - and this could cost the employer dearly," Harmers managing partner Joydeep Hor said.

"The cost of bullying to employers is not just the potential financial penalties.

"Bullying in the workplace can lead to unmotivated staff, absenteeism and ultimately a high level of staff turnover."

It was the responsibility of employers to assess whether their specific guidelines and obligations were relevant to that particular place of work and should seek professional guidance, Mr Hor said.

"Employers have a duty of care towards their employees to provide a safe workplace and to take preventive measures such as providing employees with detailed policies, and workplace training on OH&S and bullying to ensure that risks are minimised.

At the same time, he said employers must be careful about the terms and implementation of their workplace policies to ensure that the policies were realistic and did not create unintended rights for employees resulting in awards of significant compensation.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23106582-31037,00.html