§ Mr. AingerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is his Department's estimate of the number of working days per year lost as a result of workplace bullying; [17459]
177W(2) what is his Department's estimate of the annual cost of working days lost as a result of bullying in the workplace. [17458]
Mr. John M. Taylor[holding answer 24 February 1997]: Workplace bullying is an imprecise concept and therefore difficult to define. Legal remedies exist to deal with some forms of unreasonable behaviour in the workplace. It is impossible to estimate the number and cost of working days lost as a result of workplace bullying.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department is taking to tackle workplace bullying. [17467]
Mr. Taylor[holding answer 24 February 1997]: The Government would always encourage employers to ensure their employees are treated with due consideration. Legal remedies exist to deal with particular instances of unreasonable behaviour in the workplace.