New research shows that two in five workers (40%) have experienced bullying or negative behaviour at work
To mark End Workplace Bullying Day (October 26, 2026), law firm Weightmans has launched a campaign calling on employers to end workplace bullying and create workplaces where harmful behaviour is recognised, challenged and stopped.
According to research commissioned by the firm, from a nationally representative survey of 1,000 UK workers, a significant two in five workers (40%) have been bullied or experienced negative behaviour at work. For many workers, bullying comes from the person that they report to - almost a quarter of respondents (23%) said they had been bullied by a manager or supervisor, compared to 19% who said they had experienced it from a colleague. Discriminatory banter was also familiar territory: 45% said it happened in their workplace, including 23% who said it happened often or sometimes.
The findings also showed discrepancies across gender - women were twice as likely as men to have been bullied by a colleague, at 24% compared with 12%. Almost one in five women (18%) reported touching that felt deliberate or uncomfortable, compared with only 7% of men.
The campaign also highlighted how workplace bullying doesn’t stop at the office door, with group chats and video calls coming under scrutiny. More than four in five respondents (82%) considered aggressive or inappropriate voice notes to be bullying, while 81% said the same about aggressive or demeaning messages through email, Teams or Slack. Almost three quarters (74%) regarded a manager publicly criticising their work in a group chat as bullying.
Led by Weightmans’ Employment Partner and founder of End Workplace Bullying Day, Tina Chander, the campaign is calling on employers to move beyond simply having policies in place and take meaningful action to prevent workplace bullying. It aims to help organisations recognise and challenge harmful behaviours early, create cultures where respect and accountability are embedded, and give employees the confidence to speak up when something does not feel right.
Tina said:
“Workplace bullying can happen in a meeting, through a message or through exclusion in the workplace. Through this campaign, we want employers to look closely at everyday behaviour in their organisations, including what happens in group chats and on video calls, and understand the effect that bullying behaviours can have.
“Having a policy is a starting point, but staff also need to know how to raise a concern, feel confident they will be listened to and see that complaints are handled fairly.”
The campaign’s message is a practical one, encouraging employers to review their policies and reporting procedures, look at their workplace practices and training requirements, challenge behaviour that is dismissed or normalised as workplace banter and take steps to prevent workplace bullying.
Make a pledge today by emailing Ruby Mander or Gemma Clark.
If you would like further support or guidance, please get in touch by reaching out to our dedicated campaign inbox: EWB@weightmans.com
