It seems that the current difficult economic situation is giving rise to workplace practices that are increasing the stress experienced by various workers. One of these obnoxious practices relates to the bullying of workers, not only by their bosses, but also by workers who vent their pent up frustration by humiliating their colleagues.

After I published my first article about bullying about a year ago, I received a number of reactions from persons who felt that they were being bullied, but could not articulate their experience until they read about what bullying at the workplace is all about. I have also been contacted by relatives of victims who asked what practical action they can take to alleviate the misery of their dear ones who found themselves on the receiving end of bullying.

Bullying at the workplace is increasingly taking the form of bosses or even workers ostracising the targeted victims and boycotting them socially making them feel inadequate and defenceless. Another hallmark of some bullies in Malta seems to be swearing loudly and passing degrading comments about their victims, often in the presence of others.

Few statistics exist locally to determine the extent of bullying at the workplace in Malta. I and many others know that it exists, and I also suspect that it is probably increasing. However, I prefer to rely on international statistics to determine the likely extent of this problem. In the US, for instance, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety found that in 2008 in about 25 per cent of American business bullying was practiced in some form or other.

Bullying at the workplace is not specifically prohibited by law. It needs to be. Business leaders need to be nudged into taking action against the bullies in their business, be they their managers or workers who victimise fellow workers.

The high stress levels experienced by the victims of bullying often leads to failure to meet organisational goals, increased frequencies of grievances, resignations and requests for transfers, increased absence due to sickness and a general sense of uneasiness amongst the workforce.

Bullies are really insecure people. The social psychologist Alain de Botton describes the warped mindset of bullies brilliantly: "Belittling others is no pastime for those convinced of their own standing. There is terror behind their haughtiness. It takes a punishing impression of our own inferiority to leave others feeling that they aren't good enough for us."

For as long as employers, trade unions, and even occupational health and safety organisations remain insensitive to the problem of bullying at the workplace, the best advice that the victims of bullying can be given is to recognise that they are being bullied and that they are not the source of the problem.

It is therefore best to confide with a trusted friend about the problems you are confronting and build a social network that supports you, at least morally. But the most important element in handling bullies is to ignore their provocations and get on with your life at work as if they did not exist. There is nothing a bully hates more than being ignored and "cut dead". I have no doubt that bullying is a far more widespread problem than sexual, racial or political harassment, even if it attracts less attention. Inspired managements will take action to banish bullying from their workplace because this is a very debilitating disease in a business organisation. They can start this by promoting a zero tolerance anti-bullying policy as part of their wider commitment to a safe and healthy workplace.

Where employers fail to act, then the Health and Safety Authority should push for legislation without further delay. There are some very useful blueprints of anti-bullying legislation adopted in Canada, the US and Australia that we can adopt.

Workplace bullies need to be tackled vigorously at different levels: victims need to build confidence in themselves and to seek the support of their colleagues and friends; employers need to realise that unless they recognise the seriousness of this problem their businesses will suffer; our Health and Safety Authority needs to use the power given to it by law by steering anti-bullying legislation.

Only when these actions are coordinated will we rid our workplaces from such degrading behaviour.

johncassarwhite@yahoo.com