Anti-Bullying Week 2021 – tackling toxic cultures and ‘problematic behaviours’

I was surprised to read recently that as many as two in five employees across the UK have experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination at work.

Perhaps it’s because I live in my little Revoco bubble, but I couldn’t imagine working in an environment where the workplace culture was that toxic.

With today being the start of Anti-Bullying Week 2021, my advice to anyone who finds themselves working in a problematic workplace culture is: find yourself an employer that places a higher value on you. We can help you find better!

Advice such as “speak up” is all well and good, but with one-third of employees saying they have felt silenced on issues that matter to them in the workplace, that’s often easier said than done.

Ultimately, these employers which allow a toxic culture to seep into their companies are shooting themselves in the foot. More than a third of workers (34%) have been less engaged with their job due to the company having a bad culture, while 42% have previously left a job due to this reason.

In her comments, Gemma McCall, CEO, Culture Shift, nails it: “A problematic workplace culture can have an incredibly damaging effect on employee retention, often leading to high levels of attrition, resulting in organisations with a deep-rooted negative culture losing great talent.”

Once the trust in an employer has gone, it can be hard to claw it back.

Organisations need to be trying harder to tackle toxic cultures and problematic behaviours – starting with creating an anonymous platform for employees to report instances of bullying or harassment. Over half (62%) of workers said this would improve their ability to air any negative experiences in the workplace.

Employers should not only create these platforms but actively encourage employees to use them.

Employers then need to be in a position to act on any anonymous tip-offs. A whopping 91% of UK employees say that knowing their employer takes bullying and harassment complaints seriously is an important factor to their overall happiness at work.

We see it time and time again here – those employers who treat their people fairly and cultivate a safe and supportive environment always attract and retain the best talent.

If you feel like you need to move away from a toxic workplace culture, or you just feel that your employer isn’t listening to your needs, talk to Revoco – we can help you find where you belong.