Government moves to tackle workplace bullying

AN expert advisory group has been established by the Government to recommend ways of tackling bullying in the workplace.

It will consider, among other things, whether a new statutory body is needed to investigate allegations of harassment and bullying.

A survey carried out for the Report of the Task Force on Bullying in 2001 found that 7% of the workforce had been bullied in the six-month period preceding the study.

The incidence rate among women was 1.8 times higher than that among men.

Bullying and the resultant stress have a knock-on effect because of absenteeism and loss of productivity.

Three existing State agencies - the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the Equality Authority - offer advice and assistance to both employers and employees in relation to different incidences of workplace bullying and harassment.

But the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has acknowledged that a "fair, consistent system" is needed whereby those with a grievance can take action and seek effective closure without repercussion.

The HSA does have an anti-bullying unit, but its main task is ensuring that organisations have an anti-bullying policy in place, and not investigating complaints. A recent HSA report recommended establishing a statutory body to assume the latter role.

"There is no State agency, akin to the Labour Court, where cases can be heard by an independent person in a judicial role," said report author, Patricia Murray.

That report, published today, was prepared for Labour Affairs Minister Frank Fahey.

He has acknowledged the "gaps in the current regime", and will today announce the establishment of the expert advisory group as the first step in filling them.

The expert group, which will be chaired by Paul J Farrell, a senior partner with IBM Ireland, will meet for the first time in September and report to the minister within three months.

It will assess the effectiveness of existing measures relating to the prevention of workplace bullying, the identification of improvements in procedures, and ways to address the effects of bullying on people's health.

The 14 other members include representatives from the department, the HSA, the Employment Equality Authority, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, the LRC, and the private sector.

"The report of the expert group will provide the information on the best way forward to tackle the problem," said Mr Fahey.