The Ban Bullying at Work campaign, which also encompasses a national awareness day held in November, is to be cancelled because of a lack of funding.
I received a letter from the organisers, the Andrea Adams Trust, citing a lack of sponsorship funding as the reason behind the decision. Up until now the trust has been the sole funder of the event, but that has now become "unsustainable". It seems lead supporters, which in past years have included Royal Mail, BA, government departments and the TUC, are unwilling to cough up any sponsorship cash.
The campaign office is closing as of the end of April and unless the trust "is successful in finding another source to provide leadership for this event, this national day will cease".
Chief exec Lyn Witheridge says £60,000 is needed to run the campaign, which culminates with Ban Bullying at Work Day on 7 November. Letters to supporters asking for cash have either gone unanswered or proved futile.
What does this decision say about employers' commitment to tackling workplace bullying? Not a lot, probably. It's more likely that firms (and the government) haven't got any spare cash floating about to commit to a cause, however worthy.
A sad state of affairs indeed.
Now is a good time to assess what impact, if any, the Ban Bullying at Work campaign has had. It's been running for six years, so is the problem of workplace bullying getting any better? Have incidences of workplace bullying fallen?
The trust claims the day has "become synonymous with successful consequences in relation to the issues that surround workplace bullying".
Really? Andrea Adams' own research shows significant increases in workplace bullying and the TUC estimates as many as one in four workers are being bullied at work. This results in a huge social and economic cost to the UK.
Maybe people are becoming more aware as to what constitues bullying and therefore more likely to report it or speak out. Or maybe there is more conflict in the workplace that some interpret as 'bullying'.
So perhaps it doesn't matter that Ban Bullying at Work Day has been scrapped. It taking place every year seems to have made little or no difference, so it not taking place might mean very little as well.
Comments (2)
NO NO NO ... you are wrong! National Ban Bullying week will proceed. Just because The Andrea Adams Trust has failed to secure funding does not mean this is an end to the national ban bullying campaign in November each year - in memory of the late Andrea Adams and the late Tim Field who were the first two pioneers who campaigned against workplace bullying. For more information about The National Bullying Helpline and the work we do during ban bullying week, with both adults and children, see www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/events. We are the only bullying helpline in the UK that provides assistance to both adults and children. Our founder is a Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the CMI so we really are surprised that this HR publication has not spoken to us before releasing this article. For further info: call 0845 22 55 787.
Posted by Christine Pratt | August 6, 2009 3:49 PM
Posted on August 6, 2009 15:49
It is typical that something like this would be stopped, or not funded, whilst it has apparently been going a few years now, I for one, have not even heard about it before so it has not been cascaded down through all organisations as it should have been. Or am I wrong, have Managers, Directors and CEO's known about it and not even told their staff. Further 'hidden agenda's', if staff do not know about Ban Bullying day and the help that can be given what is the point anyway?
Posted by clifford | November 7, 2009 1:27 PM
Posted on November 7, 2009 13:27