Work bullying calls soar almost 100%

LARISSA HAM
May 18, 2010

WorkSafe has reported a massive spike in calls on workplace bullying after several tragic high-profile cases including the death of 19-year-old Victorian cafe worker Brodie Panlock.

In the past three months, calls to the Victorian authority have increased by almost 100 per cent, as 1749 employers and workers sought more information on how to prevent bullying.

The subject has returned to the public spotlight following several high-profile cases, including that of Brodie Panlock, who took her own life in 2006 after an ‘‘unbearable level of humiliation’’ from colleagues at Cafe Vamp in Hawthorn.

In February, three of the teenager’s colleagues were convicted and fined a total of $85,000 while the cafe owner was convicted and fined $250,000, forcing the business to close.

Last month, Victorian labourer Dean Hutchinson, 21, told of sustained bullying at the building frame company where he worked, described by one union official as the worst case of bullying he had seen in 20 years.

Mr Hutchinson’s allegations included a supervisor firing an empty nail gun at staff, throwing wood at him and failing to repair equipment which eventually left the labourer with a broken thumb and wrist. The business' co-owner has strongly denied all allegations.

WorkSafe said today a team of workplace bullying prevention advisers were ready to visit small businesses in Victoria as part of the state government’s ‘Respect at Work’ campaign.

WorkSafe Minister Tim Holding said the service would help small operators to better understand how to prevent bullying.

‘‘All Victorian workers have a right to a workplace that is free from bullying behaviour which can have devastating consequences,’’ he said.

Mr Holding said officers would, when requested, visit small businesses to provide specific information on bullying.

‘‘The lessons from recent high-profile cases are that employers need to treat all matters seriously and respond to complaints when they are made,’’ he said.

Mr Holding said Victoria was the only state in Australia to have a dedicated bullying prevention team.

More than 1000 business people have taken part in anti-bullying workshops in the state in the past two months.