Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Latest News

HR must look out for workplace bullies

by Personnel Today 24 Feb 2003
by Personnel Today 24 Feb 2003

HR
professionals are being warned to watch out for the increasing problem of
workplace bullying. 

Employment
lawyer David Bickford highlighted the issue in the wake of a case involving TV
production company, Twenty Twenty, who successfully defended itself against a
wrongful dismissal claim by a director, Paul Woolwich.

The
judge accepted Woolwich was a systematic bully and that his removal was as a
direct result of a number of incidents which left one employee unable to sleep
at night.

Although
the judge accepted he was "working extremely hard and was under considerable
stress caused by tight production timetables", his manner was
"unreasonably harsh", "hyper-critical" and allied with a
"natural impatience and abrasive manner" when dealing with junior
colleagues.

The
case illustrates that increasing pressure at work cannot justify poor treatment
of colleagues and the need for organisations to buy into anti-bullying
philosophies from the top down.

Bickford,
whose firm Fladgate Fielder acted for Twenty Twenty, said it is usually the
case that a bully will be in a position of authority and often a high
performer. When allegations are made, they must be taken seriously, properly
investigated and appropriate action taken – no matter how senior the accused
is.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Active
steps should be taken to ensure that everyone is made aware of what is not
acceptable behaviour, with a written policy and training preferable.

By Quentin Reade

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Euro legislation red tape costs UK £8bn
next post
Premiership football wages soar by 28 per cent

You may also like

‘Terrible’ Employment Rights Bill returns to Commons

4 Sep 2025

Connect to Work scheme to benefit 15 areas...

4 Sep 2025

Sandie Peggie launches fresh legal action against NHS...

3 Sep 2025

How to stop flying blind with workforce planning

3 Sep 2025

Ex-Specsavers director suspended over wrongful expense claims of...

3 Sep 2025

Salesforce cuts 4,000 customer service roles as AI...

3 Sep 2025

New ‘failure to prevent fraud’ law a ‘game-changer’

2 Sep 2025

PCs removed from firearms unit after Tallia Storm...

2 Sep 2025

Top 10 HR questions August 2025: Conduct outside...

2 Sep 2025

Nestlé sacks CEO over ‘undisclosed’ romantic affair

2 Sep 2025

  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise