Earlier this year I wrote an article for BreakingViews on workplace bullying (Lillis, 2022). I composed that article on the basis of interviews with over sixty people who had experienced or observed bullying and, at the time, I felt that I had said all that I needed to say on the matter. Unfortunately, since then I have spoken to several additional people who have informed me of negative workplace experiences, especially in the Public Service, so that there is more to be said. The Public Service Association states that bullying is common within the Health and Education sectors in particular, and interviewees within the nursing profession assure me that it is very pernicious there too. Apparently, it is available in many places across all sectors.
It is clear to me and many others that, despite media exposure over more than twenty years, we still have a significant workplace bullying problem in New Zealand. Apart from reading published research and many media articles, and watching television and radio panel discussions on bullying, I have seen it done to others several times across different organizations.
