Managers have emerged as the most commonly accused of bullying in Australian workplaces, in the first results released by the Fair Work Commission from its new anti-bullying jurisdiction.
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The commission on Wednesday afternoon released the first analysis of cases heard since the new bullying laws, put in place by now Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as workplace relations minister, came into force on January 1.
Since January, the commission has received 151 applications from people who said they were suffering ongoing bullying at work.
Almost a third were withdrawn or resolved before a hearing could be held. A number were also dismissed because applicants failed to make a proper application, or on other preliminary grounds.
Only eight decisions were made by the commission and only one of them, at a business in Sydney, found ongoing bullying was occurring and made orders for it to stop.
That order was made last month, but did not name the business or the employee who had lodged the bullying complaint. It ordered the accused bully to:
* to have no contact with the employee who had lodged the complaint
* to make no comment about their clothes or appearance
* to not send any emails or texts to the employee, "except in emergency circumstances"
* to not raise any work issues with the employee without notifying the chief operating officer or others beforehand.
Of the 151 applications made, only three alleged they were being bullied by "a subordinate" in the workplace, while 20 people said they had been the subject of bullying by "a group of workers".
