RESOURCES
Research & Campaigning
Led by our Advisory Board of experts and influencers, we have an ongoing commitment to continuously research developments in this area of work, and to develop our own proposals for new approaches, including in legislation.
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Advisory Bodies: Research Papers
Seeking better solutions: tackling bullying and ill-treatment in Britain’s workplaces: ACAS Policy Discussion Paper November 2015 Justine Evesson and Sarah Oxenbridge (Employment Research Australia), David Taylor (Acas)
CIPD Report - Managing conflict in the modern workplace January 2020
The latest research on conflict management examines the current state of working relationships in UK organisations. The report draws on the views and experiences of employers and employees, gathered from surveys and focus groups conducted by YouGov. The findings draw attention to the critical issue of bullying and harassment in UK workplaces, and the devastating impact unfair treatment can have on individuals and organisations.
How do we build community cohesion when Hate Crime is on the increase? This 2019 report was commissioned by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hate Crime in recognition that Hate Crime is one of the least reported categories of crime, but one that can do the most harm to our communities and societies.
Safe and healthy working environments free from violence and harassment The ILO report which examines prevention through OSH frameworks. Workplace violence and harassment is a significant and ongoing threat to worker health and safety, as well as to organizational productivity and reputation. In June 2019, at the Centenary Conference of the ILO, the Violence and Harassment Convention (No. 190) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 206) were adopted, calling for the prohibition and prevention of violence and harassment in the world of work.
Preventing sexual harassment at work: a guide for employers
Equality and Human Rights Commission January 2020
Under equality law, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers by their colleagues. If they don’t, they will be legally responsible for such harassment.
Sexual harassment and harassment at work: technical guidance
Equality and Human Rights Commission July 2020
All employers have a duty of care to protect their workers and will be legally liable for harassment in the workplace if they have not taken reasonable steps to prevent it. The guidance offers a legal explanation and practical examples of how to tackle and respond effectively to harassment
Independent Research
Workplace Bullying Grievance Research by DignityWorks. An analysis of actual grievance data from 81 local government organisations for a period of 6 years totalling over 300,000 employees
Health & Safety Laboratory Bullying at work: a review of the literature 2006. Research indicates that bullied employees report significantly more symptoms of psychological stress and mental fatigue than non-bullied employees. Bullying seems to have a number of negative individual consequences in the form of stress and poor mental health.
Research by Sector
Charities
Following revelations over recent years about exploitation and abusive organisational cultures within the charity sector, there has been a rise in public and political concern about the possibility of misconduct taking place within charities, including bullying behaviour. This report shines a light on the experiences of people who have been bullied in a charity workplace. It highlights the emotional harm it causes, making six recommendations to create safer systems, processes and cultures.
In Plain Sight: Workplace bullying in charities and the implications for leadership June 2019
Parliament
The first report was commissioned in 2018 to investigate bullying and harassment of House of Commons staff. The Cox Report led to the commissioning of 2 further independent inquiries into Parliamentary staff, and the House of Lords. The findings led to the 3 key recommendations of the Cox Report being implemented, including the establishment of an independent panel for bullying and harassment complaints.
THE BULLYING AND HARASSMENT OF HOUSE OF COMMONS STAFF INDEPENDENT INQUIRY REPORT DAME LAURA COX DBE 15 October 2018.
Bullying and Harassment of MPs’ Parliamentary Staff Independent Inquiry Report by Gemma White QC, published 11 July 2019
AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO BULLYING AND HARASSMENT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS REPORT BY NAOMI ELLENBOGEN QC: 10 JULY 2019
Cyberbullying
2020 Special Report: Cyberbullying in the Age of COVID-19 The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has thrown the world into a new and unprecedented era of uncertainty, financial instability and chaos. Professionally, many of us have had to transition to a completely new virtual workplace. Students are struggling to complete their studies from home, a true challenge in any era.
The Wireless Report 2014 by Ditch the Label one of the UK’s most comprehensive reports into the ways in which young people aged 13-25 are currently engaging with and abusing smartphone technology. This report uncovers new facts and figures surrounding the rates of young people engaging in sexting and the distribution of naked imagery, along with abuse received and reported on some of the most popular smartphone exclusive social network apps. Taken from a sample of over 1,000 young people from across the United Kingdom.
Adult Online Hate, Harassment and Abuse: A Rapid Evidence Assessment June 2019. Published by University of East London, London School of Economics and the UK Council for Internet Safety
Don’t Feed the Trolls: How to Deal with Hate on Social Media by the Center for Countering Digital Hate 2019
Online Harms
Online Harms White Paper April 2019. The government wants the UK to be the safest place in the world to go online, and the best place to start and grow a digital business.
Response to the initial consultation on the Online Harms White Paper, published February 2020. Two thirds of adults in the UK are concerned about content online, and close to half say that they have seen hateful content in the past year. Online abuse can have a severe impact on people’s lives and is often targeted at the most vulnerable in our society. Cyberbullying has been shown to have psychological and emotional impact.
Online Harms White Paper: Full Government Response to the consultation December 2020
The Online Harms White Paper set out the government’s ambition to make the UK the safest place in the world to go online, and the best place to grow and start a digital business. It described a new regulatory framework establishing a duty of care on companies to improve the safety of their users online, overseen and enforced by an independent regulator. This will build public trust in the services that these companies are offering, and support a thriving and fast-growing digital sector. The White Paper proposed that regulation be proportionate and risk-based, ensuring companies have appropriate systems and processes in place to tackle harmful content and activity. It also made clear that the framework will protect users’ rights, including freedom of expression online.
TED Talks
In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, "We are losing our listening." In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening -- to other people and the world around you.
Julian Treasure
How to support witnesses of harassment and build healthier workplaces
Julia Shaw
The Power of Vulnerability
Brené Brown
Your body language may shape who you are
Amy Cuddy
Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business
Christine Porath
What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience
Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte
The social brain and its superpowers
In this TEDx Talk, Lieberman explores groundbreaking research in social neuroscience that reveals that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental than our need for food or shelter and that the social pain and pleasure we experience has just as much impact as physical pain and pleasure.
Matthew Lieberman, Ph.D. | TEDxStLouis
When rudeness in teams turns deadly
Chris Turner | TEDxExeter
Listening to shame
Brené Brown
Why you feel what you feel
Alan Watkins | TEDxOxford
How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains
Richard J. Davidson | TEDxSanFrancisco
Building a psychologically safe workplace
Amy Edmondson | TEDxHGSE
Useful links
ACAS Advisory, Conciliation & Arbitration Service
Acas gives employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice. We also offer training and help to resolve disputes. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1864
Anti-Bullying Alliance
The Anti-Bullying Alliance is a coalition of organisations and individuals that are united against bullying.
https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/ (lead on antibullying week in the UK)
Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation
Raise awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying and to fund organisations who are tackling bullying in schools, at work, in our communities, in sport and online.
http://www.standupfoundation-uk.org/
Bullyonline
Bullyonline.org was started in 1996 by the late Dr Tim Field and is now maintained by the Tim Field Foundation, providing information and resources about workplace bullying
https://bullyonline.org/index.php
Bulliesout
BulliesOut provides much needed help, training, support and information to individuals, schools, youth and community settings affected by bullying
CIPD Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development
The professional body for HR and people development
Cybersmile
The Cybersmile Foundation is an international non-profit organisation providing support for victims of cyberbullying and online hate campaign
The UK Council for Internet Safety
National body to tackle online harms in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-council-for-internet-safety
Ditch the Label
Help young people under 25 overcome the issues that affect and hold them back the most. Core strands of support include bullying, digital wellbeing, mental health, relationships and identity.
https://www.ditchthelabel.org/
Equality Act
Find out more about the Equality Act 2010 and how it applies to you.
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Promoting and upholding equality and human rights ideals and laws across England, Scotland and Wales.
https://equalityhumanrights.com/en
Gov.uk Workplace Bullying & Harassment
https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment
International Association on Workplace Bullying & Harassment IAWBH
International group who seek to stimulate, generate, integrate and disseminate research and evidence-based practice in the field of workplace bullying and harassment
International Labour Organisation
The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
https://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
The Jordan Legacy
Set up in memory of Jordan Phillip, who took his own life in December of 2019. The aims of the Legacy are to reduce the frequency of suicides and improve mental wellbeing at work and in society.
MIND for better mental health
Mental Health Foundation
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
NHS Livewell
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/Bullyingatwork.aspx
SEED Eating Disorder Support Services is a self help support network for people suffering from eating disorders and for carers and loved ones affected by this devastating illness.
https://seedeatingdisorders.org.uk/
Shout for support in a crisis (via Text)