Workers 'lying' to avoid the sack

WORKERS are deliberately lodging false bullying claims against other staff in
a desperate bid to save their jobs during the economic downturn.

With hundreds of Australian businesses downsizing, workplace lawyers
have reported an increased level of false bullying claims.

It is believed employees are singling out colleagues - in some cases managers -
in an attempt to shift scrutiny to others.

According to Harmers Workplace Lawyers, false and exaggerated claims
have reached record levels.

Managing partner Joydeep Hor said the trend could be attributed to job
uncertainty. "I've seen a significant increase in false bullying claims in
recent months, with bullying and harassment claims arguably at their
highest level ever," Mr Hor said. "When employees feel that their
employment is threatened, many feel cornered and helpless and some
even decide to take matters into their own hands to protect themselves."
He said some employees may even see this type of behaviour as a
bargaining tool which can insulate them against job loss.
"Given the often high-profile nature of bullying and harassment cases and
the negative impact on a company's reputation, employees can see the
bargaining power a claim like this might bring and they hope the claim will
mark them off limits for any future redundancies," he said.

A recent CareerOne online survey found 62 per cent of respondents believed
they had been bullied at work but only half that number were willing to
report the problem.

Now, in the wake of economic uncertainty and better education regarding
workers' rights, the number of people coming forward with either legitimate,
false or exaggerated claims is tipped to skyrocket.

While employers should be wary of false claims, Mr Hor said they also must
ensure the appropriate steps are taken to deal with each bullying claim properly
as they cannot presume a claim is false from the outset. "Though false claims
might be increasing, real cases of bullying continue to occur and must be dealt
with properly," he said.

Mr Hor advised employers to have a policy in place to prevent workplace
bullying and educate staff on compliance, as well as be vigilant about OH&S
laws and employee behaviour, and duly investigate any claims of bullying.

Ref: JESSICA LEO,
CAREERONE EDITOR
April 15, 2009