1 What HRM practices can be mobilised to reduce bullying? Bullying is often referred to in the context of the plight of some workers in the financial district of London, but can be found in a wide range of employment sectors and occupations.

Workplace bullying has been described as the silent epidemic (McAvoy and Murtagh, 2003). Although managers are the most common perpetrators of bullying, individuals can also be bullied by their colleagues, subordinates and clients. It is said that younger workers who know little about their workplace rights, and members of ethnic minorities, are particularly vulnerable.

Bullying not only makes people ill, so that victims resort to sleeping tablets and sedatives, but it also leads to deteriorating performance, job dissatisfaction, and obsessive-

compulsive behaviour, such as constantly checking one’s work.

The following are examples of how bullying can be experienced (Cartwright and Cooper, 2007):

● having your opinions or views ignored;

● being exposed to an excessive workload;

● someone withholding information that affects your performance;

● being given tasks with unreasonable or impossible targets or deadlines;

● being ordered to do work beyond one’s competence;

● being ignored or facing hostility (i.

e. being frozen out);

● having gossip spread about you;

● excessive monitoring;