Kitt Launches Report of the Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace BullyingMinister Asks For Codes of Practice To Be Drawn Up Within 3 MonthsIndividual Enterprises Should Promote the "Dignity At Work Charter" and Provide A Specific Anti-Bullying Policy – Minister KittEmployees Have Responsibilities and Duties Towards Each Other - Kitt
Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs today (Tuesday 10th April, 2001) launched the Report of the Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying.
In launching the Report Minister Kitt said "This Report recognises that bullying is a legitimate workplace issue and that the prevention of, and the response to, the issue is something that requires action and involvement at State level, at enterprise level as well as at the level of each individual."
"A key element for any informed debate on workplace bullying is the necessity to have national data on the nature, scope and scale of the problem which can provide the context in which the issue of workplace bullying can be explored" the Minister said. "That is why I set up this Task Force, chaired by Dr. Eileen Doyle, to identify the size of the problem and the sectors most at risk, to develop practical programmes and strategies to prevent workplace bullying and to produce a co-ordinated response from the State Agencies." the Minister added.
Minister Kitt said "one of the real merits of the Task Force lay in its broad-based membership, being composed as it was, of the principal State Agencies and Bodies involved in promoting and supporting fair working conditions, and having full representation from both ICTU and IBEC."
Minister Kitt referred to the fact that the Task Force has determined that the existing legislation dealing with occupational health and safety, employment equality and industrial relations, offers a comprehensive legislative base from which the State can assist employers and employees in developing positive work cultures and practices to deal with the issue.
"I believe that the subsequent development of Codes of Practice, under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, the Employment Equality Act, 1998 and the Industrial Relations Act, 1990, will further enhance the totality of the State response to the issue of workplace bullying. These Codes will be an invaluable source of guidance on putting in place policies and procedures at enterprise level, and as a basis for the State Agencies, that is the Health and Safety Authority, the Equality Authority and the Labour Relations Commission, charged with offering advice and assistance. It is my hope that all three Agencies will complete work on the Codes of Practice in the next three months." Minister Kitt said.
Minister Kitt said that he is particularly pleased that the Board of the HSA has endorsed the Report. He called on the HSA, in its role as the central co-ordinating State Agency to establish, at the earliest possible date, the Advisory Committee, which is envisaged in the Report.
"This Advisory Committee will have a key role in co-ordinating and overseeing the implementation of the recommendations relating to the State’s role in responding to workplace bullying, including the three Codes of Practice" Minister Kitt said.
Minister Kitt also referred to the fact, that just as the role of the State has been recognised in this Report, so too, the responsibility at local level of the employer, manager and employee has been rightly recognised and emphasised. He called on individual enterprises to adhere to, and to promote the "Dignity at Work Charter", as recommended by the Task Force, and to also provide a separate and specific Anti-Bullying Policy. "These are two of the most important preventative measures which every employer can undertake straightaway." said the Minister.
Minister Kitt made particular reference to the National Survey on workplace bullying which was carried out by the ESRI. "I believe that the decision to extend the lifetime of the Task Force has been fully justified by the wealth and depth of current data on the issue of workplace bullying which we now have to hand. This data will be of particular value in determining appropriate targeted policies and activities. I note that the general incidence level of those currently in the workforce, who would describe themselves as having been bullied, is 7.0%, while 9.5% of females currently in the workforce would describe themselves as having been bullied. While I understand that these figures are generally in keeping with other comparable EU data, we should not take false comfort in them. Rather our efforts should now be concentrated on the further reduction and elimination of this figure" the Minister said.
In thanking the members of the Task Force for their time and commitment to the work of the Task Force, Minister Kitt paid special tribute to the Chairman, Dr. Eileen Doyle, saying that she had given eighteen months of her time to this project and had guided it through with great skill and dedication.
"The real challenge facing all of us is to ensure that a strong anti-bullying culture permeates through all Irish workplaces, and this Report offers us an invaluable starting point from which we can meet this challenge" Minister Kitt concluded.
On 21st September, 1999, the Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Mr.Tom Kitt, T.D., established a Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying.
- to identify the size of the problem and the sectors most at risk
- to develop practical programmes and strategies to prevent workplace bullying
- to produce a co-ordinated response from State Agencies and to report to the Minister
The Task Force was chaired by Dr. Eileen Doyle and operated under the auspices of the Health and Safety Authority.
A national advertising campaign was undertaken and the public were invited to make submissions to the Task Force on the subject of workplace bullying. Over 250 submissions were made to the Task Force.
The National Survey, the submissions received and the explorations of existing research in Ireland and internationally were all carefully considered before final recommendations were agreed by the Task Force.
The Task Force is of the view that at present, the most appropriate agency to be assigned responsibility for providing a centrally co-ordinated response to the prevention of workplace bullying is the Health and Safety Authority.The Task Force examined the existing legislation on industrial relations, employment equality, protection and health and safety issues. Serious consideration was given to the need or desirability for new or amending dedicated anti-bullying legislation. The Task Force is of the view that the existing legislation is comprehensive in its application. Therefore, it would be premature, at this stage, to expand the already comprehensive code of labour law until one has been completely satisfied that it has been fully and properly utilised.
However, there is a facility under a number of Acts to introduce Codes of Practice. As a general principle, Codes of Practice are designed to provide guidelines on arrangements, procedures and the promotion of best practice. Codes are also admissible in evidence and have been taken into consideration in relevant proceedings. The Task Force believes that the drawing up of Codes of Practice under relevant pieces of legislation will be a practical and useful first step in tackling the issue of workplace bullying.
The Task Force recommends that parallel Codes of Practice on workplace bullying be drawn up under the following pieces of primary legislation:-
- Industrial Relations Act, 1990
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989
- Employment Equality Act, 1998
