International speaker at NZ Workplace Bullying Conference

30 January 2018: For immediate release

400,000 Kiwis are bullied in the workplace4

. It’s time to recognise the mental health issues caused by workplace bullying and fix it.

International speaker to present at NZ Workplace Bullying Conference.

The Government’s mental health and addiction review, should include bullying in its terms of reference. And it’s time the government recognises that bullying is treated as a health and safety matter, not an employment matter, says Culture Safe NZ director Aland Halse.

“The Prime Minister has said that our mental health services are stretched and that demand for mental health services has grown rapidly In 2016/17 more than 170,000 people used mental health and addiction services – that’s up by 71 per cent on a decade earlier.

“That’s not acceptable to us, and we see how bullying leads to suicidal thoughts and metal health issues! It’s time for workplace bullying to be openly discussed and legislated as a criminal act, like it is in Australia,” said Halse.

CultureSafe NZ is taking the lead in this space by holding a conference where a world authority on workplace bullying - Dr Gary Namie of the United States based Workplace Bullying Institute - will speak.

“The opportunity to hold a conference like this will create a conversation that will push workplace bullying up on the agenda as an area which we need to fix,” said Halse.

“It’s time for New Zealand business, employers and the government to focus on solutions around workplace bullying, not sweeping it under the Employment Relations Act as just a workplace dispute.

CultureSafe NZ is New Zealand’s leading agency on supporting thinking about workplace bullying, and helping both clients and businesses regarding bullying issues.

“We see this conference and Dr Namie’s contribution to it as the next step to eradicate workplace bullying in New Zealand.

“The opportunity is to promote better workplace practices, promote a better culture and promote better productivity for New Zealand.

“Culture Safe NZ is focused on providing the opportunity to create the discussion that New Zealand needs in this area, because there are too many people affected by workplace bullying, that it is costing them, their families and the economy.

“Victims deserve a voice and they deserve a forum where they can share, debate and push for changes to the New Zealand health and safety laws.

“This conference does that,” Halse said.

NOTES

1. Link to Dr Gary Namie’s bio http://www.workplacebullying.org/the-drs-namie/

2. Link to the Prime Minister’s mental health inquiry https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/inquiryimprove-mental-health-services

3. The cost of bullying to the economy is unquantified in New Zealand. In Australia figures for bullying equate to $36 billion a year.

4. A NZ study had shown that throughout New Zealand 1 in 5 people are bullied in the workplace. http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=sorry-chef-butyoure-a-bully-15-04-2010

That’s equivalent to 400,000 New Zealanders who are subject to some form of bullying in the work force

© Scoop Media