UK BULLYING AT WORK CLAIMS

Our employment solicitors provide sound, qualified advice on all matters related to employment disputes in the United Kingdom including claims for bullying at work. Our no win no fee claims are totally risk free and if we do not win your case, you do not pay any legal fees or expenses whatsoever. If you need free initial advice call us or complete the contact form and our specialist lawyers will be pleased to help you out, with no further obligation on your part.

If you think that you’re being picked on by colleagues, your supervisor or your boss at work, then you’re probably being bullied by them. Although it’s a common event, bullying at work is totally illegal. Bullying can take many forms however it may include some incidents below which is not by any means a comprehensive list of this type of behaviour :-

• Raised voices aimed at co-workers and other staff members for the purpose of embarrassing them or undermining their morale.
• Finding fault in the work done by qualified and efficient employees even if there is really no fault at all.
• Shaming or embarrassing experienced members of staff by giving them work that is below their level of expertise or position.
• Knowingly not giving the right compensation and promotion to a deserving employee.
• Making unnecessary and unreasonable complaints or insults about a co-worker in public.
• Assigning too much work or giving impractical deadlines to an employee in order to unreasonably attempt to show that they are incompetent in their job.
• Making some work activities exclusive to a few individuals to deliberately leave out certain others.
• Constantly bearing the brunt of jokes which is often a cover up for racial and sexual discrimination or harassment.
• Always insulting a specific staff member as to their work and discussing their personal lives that is not in any way related to their work.

When a person is the target of bullying at work, they may frequently complain of stress induced illnesses such as migraine, nausea, rashes, ulcer, insomnia, nervousness and raised blood pressure. They may suffer from psychological problems including low self esteem, depression and panic attacks. Employees are often reluctant to go to work in order to avoid hearing insults aimed at them which causes their work standards to suffer.

Failure to address the problem of bullying at work may severely affect the business including :-

• Frequent absences and sick leave of employees due to stress which may mean a loss of ability for company projects to meet deadlines.
• Lowered morale and functionality of the employees.
• A decrease in the output and quality of work.
• Failure to keep competent and efficient employees.
• Expenses and compensation paid by the firm as a result of claims by employees made to the Employment Tribunal.

As the victim of this kind of bullying at work you should stand up to your oppressor and demand that the behavior cease. If violence may possibly result from a confrontation you should appeal for the help of your employer to do something about it. Failure of management to take any action with regards to your appeal for help can be grounds for an application to the Employment Tribunal.

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, employers are legally bound to secure the health, well being and safety of their employees. Failure to this may make them liable for legal action in a claim for compensation in the Employment Tribunal and Civil Courts as a result of breach of contract between them and their employee. It may also be considered as a failure to follow the racial and sexual discrimination and harassment laws and also as an offence against the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 leading to possible prosecution and imprisonment.