1,000 signatures reached
To: All MPs, NZ Parliament
Amend legislation to prevent workplace bullying in New Zealand
Tomorrow is the big day - we're going to deliver this petition to Parliament!!
Lets see if we can get 3000 signatures before tomorrow morning.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 needs to have a specific section that includes psychological and emotional harm and trauma in the workplace.
There also needs to be a formal jurisdiction where workplace bullying complaints can be heard, as well as trained professional and independent investigators.
Lets see if we can get 3000 signatures before tomorrow morning.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 needs to have a specific section that includes psychological and emotional harm and trauma in the workplace.
There also needs to be a formal jurisdiction where workplace bullying complaints can be heard, as well as trained professional and independent investigators.
Why is this important?
Latest update from Allan Halse at CultureSafeNZ in Hamilton:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/workplace-bullying-causes-some-kiwis-suffer-mental-health-issues
New Zealand has the world’s second highest rate of bullying in the workplace. Statistics suggest that over 350,000 (17.8% of workforce) employees are currently being bullied. [1,2]
However currently the laws as they stand make it hard to combat.
There is no formal process or jurisdiction to combat workplace bullying behaviours in New Zealand. This means there is no place in New Zealand to take a complaint about workplace bullying.
Presently cases are directed to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), however the ERA can't deal with workplace bullying as a health and safety issue. Workplace bullying is a health and safety issue, not an employment issue.
This means that cases are almost impossible to win and even if they are won are not settled appropriately. For example even if you win a case you will be ordered to pay the costs of the bully’s legal fees.[3]
There needs to be a specific formal jurisdiction set up in the legislation where workplace bullying complaints can be heard as health and safety cases.
There also needs to be trained professionals and independent investigators who know what bullying behaviours look like and how these behaviours impact people. They also need to be independent so that the “sham” investigations that employers currently use can be left in the past and all evidence can be presented.
Let’s address these problems and get rid of bullying from all our workplaces. This petition will alert Government to our serious concerns, and demand action.
References
1 - http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/83618177/new-zealand-has-worlds-second-highest-rate-of-workplace-bullying
2 - ‘Ex morgue worker on bullying claims: 'We've lost everything'’ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11855415
3 - http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/67597611/former-health-board-employee-must-pay-costs
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/workplace-bullying-causes-some-kiwis-suffer-mental-health-issues
New Zealand has the world’s second highest rate of bullying in the workplace. Statistics suggest that over 350,000 (17.8% of workforce) employees are currently being bullied. [1,2]
However currently the laws as they stand make it hard to combat.
There is no formal process or jurisdiction to combat workplace bullying behaviours in New Zealand. This means there is no place in New Zealand to take a complaint about workplace bullying.
Presently cases are directed to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), however the ERA can't deal with workplace bullying as a health and safety issue. Workplace bullying is a health and safety issue, not an employment issue.
This means that cases are almost impossible to win and even if they are won are not settled appropriately. For example even if you win a case you will be ordered to pay the costs of the bully’s legal fees.[3]
There needs to be a specific formal jurisdiction set up in the legislation where workplace bullying complaints can be heard as health and safety cases.
There also needs to be trained professionals and independent investigators who know what bullying behaviours look like and how these behaviours impact people. They also need to be independent so that the “sham” investigations that employers currently use can be left in the past and all evidence can be presented.
Let’s address these problems and get rid of bullying from all our workplaces. This petition will alert Government to our serious concerns, and demand action.
References
1 - http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/83618177/new-zealand-has-worlds-second-highest-rate-of-workplace-bullying
2 - ‘Ex morgue worker on bullying claims: 'We've lost everything'’ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11855415
3 - http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/67597611/former-health-board-employee-must-pay-costs
How it will be delivered
To all New Zealand MPs