Why staff keep bullying and discrimination to themselves

Why staff keep bullying and discrimination to themselves

A survey by law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp among 2,000 UK workers has suggested that just half think their employer will take their complaints of bullying, discrimination or harassment seriously.

Staff worry about how managers and HR will respond to their complaints, and what the implications will be for how they are perceived and their careers. Meanwhile, when problems are left unaddressed, the strains increase, relationships break down, and there are ripples of effects across teams and workplaces.

The study found that 59% of employees felt it was too expensive to turn to a professional law firm; 52% that there were too many barriers to getting legal support. Only 41% were comfortable with approaching a law firm at all.

The discrimination map

Data from last year points to widespread potential problems. A Key Law study found that more than a third of employees had either seen or experienced bullying themselves in the past three years.

A nationwide study by YouGov for Indeed in 2021 has claimed that London is they city where staff are most likely to be subject to discrimination (up to 30%). Then comes Northern Ireland (29%) and the Midlands (28%). The national average is 23%. The problems are far greater for people with minority ethnic backgrounds (where the figure relating to those likely to experience discrimination rises to 49%); people who are LGBT+ (47%) and those people with a disability (33%).

Always listening

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Listening to an employee’s concerns is a central part of the employer’s duty of care. Bottling up problems, whether it’s the result of issues at home or at work, is never helpful for either side. That’s why there have to be open channels for people to talk and access the advice they need.

“Just to have the option of opening up to a line manager on one hand, or going straight to a lawyer on the other, is no way to encourage a healthy workplace culture. Impartiality and independence is the critical thing. EAPs are always there to provide that early support, a bridge to defusing the most difficult situations.”