1 in 3 Workers Fall Victim to Workplace Bullying

New research indicates that one in three workers has been bullied at work. It added that over half of them are the victims of persistent office gossip or malicious rumors. The research has also identified the biggest complaints of Australian workers - stolen thunder, being blamed for other people's stuff-ups, verbal abuse and unjustified criticism, News.com.au. reported.

Micro managers breathing down employee's necks are also a major complaint, with 57 per cent saying they have been unfairly micromanaged at some point in their careers, according to the UMR Research.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers personal injuries general manager Janine Gregory said there are a lot of workers anxious about going to work.

Women are more likely to be bullied than men, but females are also 10 per cent more likely to dish out the abuse than what males are, the researchers said.

Co-workers were the most common culprits, responsible for 53 per cent of bullying cases, followed by managers (47 per cent), supervisors (36 per cent) and business owners (16 per cent), the study found.

Starting from July, bullying victims can apply to the Fair Work Commission for assistance to resolve the matter quickly and affordably, instead of going through the courts.

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Employment Minister Bill Shorten told News Limited that the Federal Government is working towards the adoption of a national definition of bullying across states and territories.

"For the first time in the history of the Commonwealth, the Gillard Government is making workplace bullying a federal workplace relations issue," he said.

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"Bullying is unacceptable in modern Australian workplaces and it needs to be stamped out," he added.

Source-ANI