Address by Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D.,Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs,At the Launch of the Report of the Task Force on thePrevention of Workplace BullyingPress Centre, Government Buildings,on Tuesday, 10th April 2001

Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to be here this morning to launch the Report of the Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying. This Report is an excellent, well-balanced pioneering document which offers a clear focus and future perspective on a workplace issue which is of concern to very many people.

Workplace bullying is an issue about which there are many differing and diverse opinions. After assuming Ministerial responsibility for Labour Affairs, I realised that it was an issue, which was attracting increasing attention and concern from various quarters such as trade unions, employer groups, special interest groups and concerned individuals. However, it was also an issue that had not yet been the subject of a comprehensive examination at national level.

A key element for any informed debate is the necessity to have national data on the nature, scope and scale of the problem which would provide the context in which the issue of workplace bullying could be explored. That is why I set up the Task Force, chaired by Dr. Eileen Doyle, with its three basic terms of reference which were 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. I am satisfied that these terms have been more than fully met.

The title of the Report is "Dignity at Work – The Challenge of Workplace Bullying". Dignity is, in many ways, an old-fashioned word and even an old-fashioned concept. But it is, nonetheless, still relevant to society and to to-day’s workplaces. Though we live in an era dominated by technological advances, it is still ultimately human behaviour and human interaction which determines the extent to which we can be genuinely content at work.

The workplace is, of course, a microcosm of life itself - the concerns, the inadequacies and the prejudices in our lives outside of work do not disappear when we go into work. We bring them with us and they can interfere in our dealings with our work colleagues, and can manifest themselves in incidences of bullying and harassment. This does not, however, make it acceptable behaviour. We are not obliged to like everyone that we work with, but we are obliged to treat everyone fairly and with dignity. Bullying is, quite frankly, an insidious and reprehensible form of behaviour which has no place in a civilised workplace and it is a form of discrimination and harassment derived from a lack of basic respect for the dignity of another person.

One of the real merits of the Task Force, I believe, 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. It brought together people from different backgrounds with different experiences, different expertise and perhaps, even, different expectations of what would emerge. The strength of this collective expertise permeates through the Report.

The 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.

I have no hesitation in endorsing this Report and it’s recommendations, and I have specifically asked all parties to take decisive action on their implementation as soon as possible.

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, in particular, the development of the 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 and a reference point 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. I have requested all three Agencies to complete work on the Codes of Practice in the next three months.

I am pleased that the Board of the Health and Safety Authority has already endorsed the Report and I am now asking the HSA, in its role as the central co-ordinating State Agency to establish, at the earliest possible date, the Advisory Committee, as 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.

But, 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. As the Report states "central to the concept of an effective workplace is the commitment of management and workforce to develop and maintain an atmosphere in which the dignity of each individual is respected". An adherence to, and the promotion of, the Dignity at Work Charter, as recommended by the Task Force, and the provision of a separate and specific Anti-Bullying Policy are two of the most important preventative measures which every employer can undertake straightaway. I would urge all employers and their representative organisations to actively promote and circulate the Dignity at Work Charter as a first step.

In reality, anti-bullying measures should be taken, in the first instance, to protect employees, there are also, undoubtedly, wider business benefits to be considered. An employer who develops an Anti-Bullying Policy is ultimately protecting his or her own business. Given the difficult subject matter, and the human element involved, an accusation of bullying or harassment can generate an emotive reaction and lead to confusion and distrust because of an uncertainty as to how to proceed. By having a stated Anti-Bullying Policy you are putting in place preventative measures as well as procedural measures which will enable you to deal with any accusations in a contained and structured manner. Good employers realise that there are economic and legal implications where allegations of workplace bullying are not properly addressed. The well-being of employees will eventually reflect itself in the overall well-being of the organisation.

In the same context let me also emphasise that employees have responsibilities and duties towards each other. Bullying, harassment or intimidation must never become the accepted silent work practice.

There are many other aspects to this Report to which I simply do not have time to do justice here this morning. I would, however, like to refer to the definition of workplace bullying in the Report. One of the most difficult areas for the Task Force on the basis of experience elsewhere, was arriving at an agreed definition and I am pleased that the Task Force has achieved consensus on this matter.

I would also like to make specific 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.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank the members of the Task Force, all of whom gave enormous time and commitment to the Task Force. I must, of course, pay special tribute to Dr. Eileen Doyle, who has given eighteen months of her time to this project and who has guided it through with great skill and dedication. I would also like to mention Suzanne Staunton, who provided administrative support to the Task Force, and who made an enormous personal contribution to the success of the Task Force.

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.Thank you.