Bullying and harassment in Australian workplaces: Results from the Australian Workplace Barometer 2014-15

Why has this research been done?

• To better understand the prevalence of workplace bullying and harassment in Australian workplaces and to identify workplace risk factors associated with the occurrence of bullying and harassment.

What did we find?

• Bullying was measured using both a widely accepted international definition and the Australian definition used by Safe Work Australia. The prevalence rates using the international and the Australian definitions were similar: 9.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent of Australian workers respectively reported they had been bullied in the last six months.
• Of the seven types of harassment measured, the most common form of harassment experienced by Australian workers was reported as being sworn at or yelled at (37 per cent), followed by being humiliated in front of others (24 per cent).

What do the findings suggest?

• Self-reported bullying is common in Australian workplaces and is associated with poor psychological health. Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) and psychosocial factors such as job demands, job control and job resources are also related to the occurrence of bullying and harassment.

Audience

Academics, researchers, regulators, employers, workers.

Supporting information

• Psychosocial safety climate and better productivity in Australian workplaces: Costs, productivity, presenteeism, absenteeism