Employment minister proposes anonymous hotline and intervention to deal with severe cases
Workplace bullying has become a significant problem in Denmark and a special system needs to be set up to tackle it, says the country's minister for employment.
An anonymous hotline should be created for employees to call if they feel they have been bullied or mistreated in the workplace, proposed Minister of Employment Inger Stojberg.
The Labour Inspectorate would then review the calls and intervene in severe cases, potentially placing the company under supervision, said the minister.
Statistics from the ministry show nearly 10 per cent of employees have been bullied at work. Bullying leads to higher absenteeism and, in severe cases, disability, according to the ministry.
While the Danish Employers Federation is happy the government is addressing the problem of workplace bullying, it would rather see the complaints dealt with internally with the company involved as opposed to through an anonymous tip to the Labour Inspectorate, said Sarah Fedburg, a senior advisor at the federation.
Other experts would also like to see action plans created within individual workplaces to address bullying.
