Sexist bullies are on the increase

Workplace bullying affects almost three-quarters of female employees in the UK, according to a new survey by employment law consultancy Peninsula.

Sexist attitudes, however they are expressed, seem to be on the increase: 72% of the 2,000-plus respondents said they had felt intimidated at work by a colleague or manager because of their sex, compared to 67% when the company conducted a similar survey in 2002, and 82% (up from 78% four years ago) claimed that being female had harmed their chances of career progression.

But only 8% said they would report harassment to their managers.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, called on employers to include equal opportunities policies in employment contracts, and to ensure that they are communicated to staff.

Noting that employment tribunals will "almost certainly" rule that employers have failed in their duty of care unless they have a written and well-publicised policy, he warned: "Employers need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they did everything in their power to prevent any harassment from occurring."