BULLYING IS BAD FOR BUSINESS. WITHIN THE WORKPLACE IT DESTROYS TEAMWORK, CONFIDENCE AND MORALE
Added: (Tue May 01 2007)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Workplace bullying contributes to a total loss of 18 million working days every year. That equates to a cost of around �2 billion each year to UK industry.(1) Leading Employee Assistance Programme Provider, CiC (www.cic-eap.co.uk) wants to provide HR professionals with the opportunity to think further about this significant issue. They are sending out invitations to companies throughout the UK to join them at a seminar addressing bullying and harassment in the workplace, to be held in mid-May.
"Workplace bullying is one of the biggest causes of stress for employees in the workplace. From a managerial position, bullying is an abuse of power or authority which attempts to undermine an individual or group of employees. From a peer, it can be persistent unacceptable behaviour that is offensive and intimidating. Bullying can often turn into malicious, insulting and humiliating behaviour that diminishes an individual�s confidence and destroys their self belief."
Kate Nowlan,CEO, CiC
Bullying and harassment can take many different forms ranging from verbal and psychological torment to more severe cases when it can become more physical and violent. It is estimated that around 1 in 6 employees experience bullying at some point in their working lives. This applies to all sectors, and of most concern is the fact that some 75% of those cases identified a manager as the bully. A TUC survey revealed that victims of bullying take around 7 days extra off on average each year than those who are not bullied, struggling to cope with the consistent level of abuse that bullies inflict.
CiC�s seminar will bring bullying to life in front of seminar attendees, using the skills of Steps Drama Learning Development, one of the UK�s leading providers of innovative drama-based learning. Scenarios of various bullying situations will be enacted throughout the seminar, with attendees given the opportunity to suggest different ways to handle each stage, a developmental approach which allows participants to actively engage with this sensitive issue.
As well as Steps, representatives from Opportunity Now will also be talking about bullying from a gender perspective. Opportunity Now are the UK�s leading membership organisation for employers who are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for women.
Notes to Editor:
(1) Statistics taken from Trades Union Congress and London Chamber of Commerce
CiC�s Core Services:
CiC provide telephone support, management support, face to face counselling, traumatic incident counselling, specialist support services, training and executive coaching and management information. The group specialises in the following services:
Crisis Management � CiC offer a complete Crisis Management and Critical Incident Cover package available 24/7. CiC�s Critical Incident Support staff and specialist trauma team are highly trained and have experience of providing support both to groups and on a one-to-one support basis across a range of situations, including the London 7/7 bombings, the �04 Madrid train bombings, the Paddington rail crash, armed bank raids, bomb threats/evacuations and sudden deaths in the workplace.
Business Continuity & Critical Incident Support has to be a fundamental part of strategic planning for any forward thinking company nowadays. CiC also address Risk Management in the fields of Business Continuity, Company Risk Reviews, Security and International Travel Advice, and Critical Incident Cover.
EAP � The Employee Assistance Programme is CiC�s most highly demanded service. It focuses on organisational performance and enhanced productivity. Employees benefit from a 24 hour confidential helpline, available 365 days of the year that offers support for every area of both their personal and professional life.
Management support and face to face counselling are provided as well as specialist support services such as Financial, Legal and child / family care, retirement, and redundancy issues.
Learning & Development � CiC�s comprehensive training programmes add value to businesses across the spectrum. The specialised training department has diverse front line industry knowledge and experience which allows them to provide considerable depth of advice and training to fit the commercial requirements of any business. CiC use a range of specifically developed learning tools to train people in wide variety of business & management skills. Courses include: General Skills, Business Development, Leadership Skills, Business Continuity, HR Services and Coaching.
For further information contact Beccy Whittles, Max PR:
020 8334 5749 / beccy@maxpr-events.com
Visuals available
Kate Nowlan, CEO, available for interview