New independent research by the Government and Unite union has revealed that cyber-bullying is becoming increasingly common in the workplace.

A fifth of respondents – all UK workers - have been bullied by email in their current or previous jobs, and 6.2 per cent have been bullied via a text message. Almost nine per cent believe that cyber-bullying is a problem in their current organisation.

The increased use of communications tools such as Blackberries is also making cyber-bullying a problem outside working hours, according to 13 per cent of respondents.

Workplace bullying is estimated to cost UK employers more than £2 billion a year in sick pay, staff turnover and loss of production. The new research shows how widespread the problem is, spanning all industry sectors, regions and age groups.

The survey also found that many employees do not know what to do if they experience bullying at work. While almost half would go to senior management and a quarter to their HR department and/or their union, six per cent of people would take revenge on the bully. Almost ten per cent said they would do nothing and four per cent would simply leave their job.

Those who provided additional comments showed responses ranging from strong aggression (‘confront them’; ‘a single accurate punch’) to passivity (‘nothing I could do’). 

The extent of cyber-bullying varies significantly by sector: the survey found it to be more prevalent in sales, media and marketing and telecoms, while in retail bullying was reported as being primarily face-to-face.

“Bullying in the workplace can destroy peoples’ lives,” says Mandy Telford, Dignity at Work coordinator for trade union Unite (formerly Amicus). “It also has a direct impact on an organisation’s bottom line, and we hope that making the financial impact clear will help management and HR staff build a business case for tackling the issue.

“Our project aims to tackle workplace bullying in partnership with employers. We hope that showing the financial impact of bullying will encourage them to develop their own anti-bullying policies, benefiting both their staff and their bottom line.”

The new booklet sets out the business case for tackling bullying at work, examines what has worked for other organisations, provides recommendations for preventing the issue arising and advises employers how to address it if problems occur.

Dignity at Work is also running a series of free seminars around the country on how to tackle bullying at work.

‘The Role of Trade Unions and the Business Case for Tackling Bullying’ is available free of charge within the UK. Anyone who would like a copy should email Mandy Telford on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or request a copy via the Dignity at Work website at www.dignityatwork.org/contact-us.htm