Workplace Report November 2011

Health & safety - HSE Monitor

Workers face rudeness and abuse

Half of workers in the UK have suffered rude or abusive treatment at work within the last two years. A report commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council and carried out by a Cardiff University research team shows the extent of the rude, disrespectful and abusive behaviour occurring in many workplaces.

Based on interviews with around 4,000 people, researchers found that 27% of workers felt ignored and 22.3% considered that they had been treated in a disrespectful or rude way. Additionally 4.9% had even suffered violence — with 72% of attackers being customers, clients or members of the public.

www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/resources/insight11.pdf