Rainier,
It should actually read people who don't abide by the "do as I say not do as I do" line management who get persecuted & so demoralised that they resign.

Teachers in schools can't control bullies...so how can employers - who aren't educators, aren't running schools but in fact businesses - manage to control ADULTS in their behaviour at paid WORK?

Bullying is not an employer's problem, it's a social problem... the so-called 'Fair Work' commission makes it nigh impossible to sack someone just because they allegedly 'called me a nasty name in the toilet'.

I agree floatinglili.
You can have all the anti-bullying campaigns and anti-bullying laws you like, but all of it means nothing if employers and/or HR departments in many workplaces are ineffective in their management of complaints.

I have seen many cases of bullying in my workplaces over the years, and have also seen many of the victims made out to be liars or whingers at best.

The problem seems to be that most bullies are very smart at pleading innocence or ignorance, and seem to be able to pull the wool over the eyes of their employers for some time...until one day, a very serious case of undeniable bullying occurs.
The bully is then given 'the first of three warnings'. By the time this bully has gathered three 'warnings' and is sacked, there have been several other 'resignations' of victims previous to this!

We need stronger and more workable anti-bullying laws.

Suzeonline:"I have seen many cases of bullying in my workplaces over the years, and have also seen many of the victims made out to be liars or whingers at best."

You'll like this Suzie. From wikipedia:

"Bullying has been identified as being particularly prevalent in the nursing profession although the reasons are not clear. It is thought that relational aggression (psychological aspects of bullying such as gossipping and intimidation) are relevant."

And from worksafe Victoria: "'I think what we are seeing is that the term bullying is being used quite loosely in the community now in many instances to describe something that has 'gone against me' or 'that I haven't liked' or something that 'I haven't wanted to do',''"

Sounds like it's right on the money to me.

Dear Suze,

Fully agree with you. As does the Australian Psychological
Association. I'll give you their links to this issue
when I return home this evening. I don't have the time
to do it now - we're going out this afternoon. Such a
beautiful day here in Melbourne today.

Not to downgrade the Wikepedia (I'm sure its fine)
but I'd prefer quotes from recognised experts in the field,
and people who actually work and research the topic.

Cheers.

Thanks Lexi. Yes, I tend to listen to medical experts rather than lay-people regarding matters of physical or mental health.

I do however agree that bullying is prevalent in the healthcare environment. Doctors are well known to bully each other (especially against junior doctors), and nurses are just as likely to bully or be bullied as any other large, predominantly female, workplace might do.

Mind you, my husband worked on a goldmine near Kalgoorlie years ago, where there were predominantly male workers. He remarked that he had never seen such bullying in any other workplace...although luckily not against him.

Maybe workplaces with predominantly one gender working there are more likely to experience bullying problems?
I must say I noted there were less problems with nasty female nurses when there were more male nurses or other male staff around.

True cases of bullying are more serious than merely being 'catty' or nasty though.
I'm sure most intelligent people know the difference between these two situations, as do most employers.