Workplace bullying has a strict and clear definition in Australian occupational health and safety (OHS) laws: “…repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety.” According to Mr Peter Katsambanis, a Liberal Party member of the West Australian Parliament, the slashing of tyres, paint damage …
Safety people love evidence, particularly evidence of hazards because evidence can validate what we thought we saw. Perhaps of more importance is evidence about what types of interventions work. A recent study into the prevention of workplace bullying (abstract only) held the promise of solutions, even though it was a literature review and of some …
Australian law firm Minter Ellison has produced a useful article (not yet available on their website) on a recent workplace bullying prosecution. However the document displays a perspective that is becoming increasingly common in Australia labour law practices....
Recently, through LinkedIn, a Human Resources (HR) professional wrote an article that busted some myths about workplace bullying. It is a useful article but also illustrates that HR and occupational health and safety (OHS) still have some way to go before providing a coordinated approach to workplace bullying and the mental health issues that contribute … Continue reading “Workplace Bullying needs a broad and integrated approach”
Last week several Australian news sites reported on a new thesis about public servants and cyber-bullying which is discussed in detail below. The reports are based mostly on a media release about the research issued by Queensland University of Technology (QUT). What caught my eye was the statement in the one media report that the researcher, …
Australia’s Productivity Commission (PC) has released its final report into the Workplace Relations Framework. Almost all media discussion has been about potential changes to penalty rates but, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, workplace bullying is part of the inquiry’s terms of reference, submissions were sought on this and the final report identifies one …
A new book on workplace bullying deserves close attention. Workplace Bullying by Joseph Catanzariti and Keryl Egan is a refreshing publication from LexisNexis Australia for several reasons. It balances information about the prevention of workplace bullying, the cultural and psychological underpinnings of workplace bullying, and the potential processes through the Fair Work Commission to seek …