Page 42 - Australian Paint & Panel March-April 2020

PEOPLE MATTER
42
PAINT&PANEL MARCH / APRIL 2020
42 STOP BULLYING • 46 DICK CRAWFORD AND THE CUSTOM KING
RESEARCH HAS PROVEN THAT WORKPLACES WHICH PROMOTE SAFE AND RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENTS ARE NURTURING THEIR EMPLOYEE’S PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH,
AND CONSEQUENTLY THE OVERALL BUSINESS’ PRODUCTIVITY.
BULLYING:
A SILENT EPIDEMIC
U
NFORTUNATELY, DATA FROM
Safe Work Australia shows Aus- tralian businesses are not provid- ing adequate support, with bully-
ing claims doubling over the last decade. The psychological impact workplace bullying has on employees and busi- nesses is two-fold. According to the Australian Productivity Commission’s
draft mental health re-
port released in early No-
vember 2019, workplace
bullying is one of the
leading causes of work-
related mental stress in
Australia. Further, the
report estimated the is-
sue was costing Australia’s economy between $22 billion and $47.4 billion each year, due to the loss of productiv- ity, legal costs and other fees.
“1 in 10 Australian workers experi- ence bullying, however we anticipate the true prevalence is much greater, since not all incidents are reported,” says Tahli Hilton, National Manager for Workplaces at Bully Zero, a not for profit organisation seeking to curb the workplace bullying statistics.
“Bullying is often referred to as a silent epidemic, given many workers that experience it fear the labelling or repercussions that occur when speak- ing up, so they keep quiet. This just leads to more concerning issues,” she added.
Safe Work Australia has recorded workplace bullying and harassment contributes to 39% of the countries mental stress claims, specifical- ly anxiety, depression, PTSD, psychosomatic symptoms, burnout and physical health com-
plaints.
Numerous studies indicate that bul-
lying and harassment is often a symp- tom of an underlying issue or hazard. Whilst bullying plays out during inter- actions with individuals, it is triggered by the way in which work is designed or performed.
The most common underlying risk factors that trigger or enable bullying in the workplace include vulnerable working conditions, high or low job demands or control, role ambiguity or
low role clarity, performance manage- ment and appraisal.
“In Australia, all jurisdictions are cov- ered by Work Health and Safety legisla- tion, whereby employers are required to provide and maintain an environment that is safe and without risk to an em- ployee’s health,” says Hilton.
“However, it is often forgotten that this also includes psychological health. Organisations are overlooking the sys- temic issues and psychological hazards leading to conflict in the workplace. These risks need to be managed the same way they would a physical haz- ard,” says Hilton.
Bully Zero’s evidence-based work- place programs aim to minimise nega- tive behaviours and bullying in the workplace by providing both employees and employers with information about rights and obligations, alongside expert advice on how to identify, prevent and address bullying.
“Most organisations in Australia typically focus on reinforcing policies and processes, education, training and responding to individual cases, and yes, these all form part of the solution,
LEFT:
Tahli Hilton, National Manager for Workplaces at Bully Zero