Have you ever been bullied?

With the recent death over the weekend of Sydney celebrity Charlotte Dawson (who had a well publicised battle with depression and long time crusader of bullying), the issue of bullying is back under the spot-light, and for all the wrong reasons.

Bullying is common and with the increase reliance of social media, easily accessible.

Did you know that in 2012, 80% of the 2,500 suicides that year involved bullying? And in that same year, a Commonwealth government survey found that 17% of all employees had experienced bullying? 

The financial implications of bullying are equally shocking, the government estimates that the costs of bullying on the economy and business is $6 billion per year (think lost productivity, sick leave and litigation etc).

So what is bullying in a legal sense?

Bullying is defined as the "repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety".

The 'repeated behaviours' must be persistent.

The 'unreasonable behaviour' must be where a reasonable person in all the circumstances would view it as unreasonable.

'Health and safety' also means the psychological health of the worker.

The bullying may also be intentional or unintentional and carried out via social media.

Sadly, bullying is all too common.

Don't sit back and ignore workplace bullying if you are a victim or know someone who is or has experienced workplace bullying.

For more information, contact us at G&B Lawyers
E: info@gandblawyers.com.au
M: 0481 287 528
W: www.gandblawyers.com.au