Thank you for contacting me about bullying in the workplace.
Bullying and harassment are entirely unacceptable in any workplace. There are safeguards in place to protect employees in the workplace.
I believe the best way to address bad behaviour in the workplace is through cultural change, although it is also important to have a safety net of legislation to protect employees from the worst kind of abuses. Employers can, for example, establish good practices through a clear anti-harassment policy and ensure all staff receive training in this area.
The Government has identified a need to take further action where employers are using non-disclosure agreements to intimidate victims of harassment into silence. Following a consultation on the misuse of confidentiality clauses between workers and their employers in 2019, a package of measures were announced, including commitment to legislate so that no provision in a workplace non-disclosure agreement can prevent disclosures to the police, regulated health and care professionals and legal professionals.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.