It’s not a problem faced exclusively by children at school. Even in the workplace, you can encounter bullies, and their attitude and actions make the workplace an ill setting for you. When you want to do your job but certain people in the workplace make it difficult and the management does not do anything about it, perhaps you should consider filing a personal injury claim.
But first, know how and when bullying can be constituted as a personal injury in the workplace.
Bullying Can Lead to Psychological Stress and Anxiety
People often associate personal injury with work sites, where you might be at risk of physical harm. However, a personal injury can also be psychological, especially if you are subjected to stressors that are not necessary to get your job done. Bullies in the workplace can be one’s superior or fellow employee who perpetuates gossip, defames someone’s character, or gives an employee meaningless tasks that waste their time.
The anxiety that results from the repeated and persistent behavior of bullies can affect the employee’s mental health. You might be surprised to find out that, according to research, one-third of employees in the UK have dealt with workplace bullies. The research also suggests that women are the more common workplace victim. Though the numbers are not specific to Kent employees, it is still significant enough to facilitate change in the workplace to prevent further bullying and psychological harm to any individual.
Employers Should Not Tolerate Bullies
Now, don’t think of it as a way to get easy money out of your employers. Personal injury at the workplace that has manifested in the form of bullying can necessitate an initial visit to a personal injury attorney, but whether or not you have a clear case will still depend on the action or inaction of your employers.
As the governing body in the workplace, employers have the responsibility of making the office a safe environment for everyone. This is hard to do when they are not made aware of the situation. For your claims to be considered valid, you might need to present proof that the employers have been informed of the problems you experienced, so that they may act upon resolving it.
That means enforcing rules not to tolerate bullying. The same research shows that 36% of employees who have encountered harassment in the workplace leave their job, and that’s a high enough percentage to cause alarm for a growing business. An employer who is aware of the situation can devise a policy tackling bullying and harassment. Furthermore, they should also address the organizational factors associated with the behavior.
After knowing of the situation, the employer might need to inform the bully of the allegations and give them a chance to respond to the case. The company should have a disciplinary policy that will enforce fair and equal rights for everyone. With everything in place, a claim might not be necessary, and the workplace will be better for it.
There you have it. If you are experiencing bullying in the workplace AND your employer chooses to ignore the situation, you have a personal injury claim to file. Otherwise, if the bullies have been dealt with, your situation will only improve from here.
