Bullying at work has doubled in the past decade with a record number of people suffering rudeness, criticism and excessive workloads, according to new research.

A survey of 7,000 workers for public sector union Unison found that more than one in three had been bullied in the past six months.

Unison said this was twice as many as in 1997, with most victims saying their work and mental health suffered.

A third of those hit by bullying had taken time off work or left their jobs altogether and most were too scared to make a complaint.

All of those surveyed said bullying was embedded in the workplace, complaining that bullies were able to get away with their behaviour.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: "The fact that bullying has doubled in the past decade is shocking. Workers have the right to earn a decent living in a safe environment.

"They need to be treated with respect and not forced to take time off work because bullying has made them ill.

"Only last week figures showed that 13.7 million working days are lost every year as a result of stress and depression in the workplace.

"We will continue to campaign for specific legislation, which will outlaw workplace bullying, ensure employers develop anti-bullying policies and aid bullied workers through Employment Tribunals."

Victoria White, editor of Company magazine, which is running a campaign against bullying, added: "We knew from the survey that it was an issue which affected many but the response afterwards with letters, Facebook messages and emails from readers has been extraordinary.

"It means we, along with Unison, have to keep up our campaign encouraging everyone to speak up about bullying at work."