Bournemouth University states that it operates a “zero-tolerance approach” to discrimination, bullying, harassment, and victimisation. This commitment is set out in the University’s Dignity and Respect Policy, which promises a workplace rooted in fairness, respect, and inclusion.

And yet, BU UCU continues to hear from members whose everyday working lives tell a very different story.

Across faculties and professional services, members report experiences of bullying — sometimes overt, sometimes subtle — including hostile emails, demeaning language, excessive monitoring, unreasonable demands, the spreading of rumours, and being undermined by line managers or colleagues. When such behaviour becomes routine, policies that look reassuring on paper fail to protect staff in practice.

The disconnect here matters. Policies do not create safe workplaces on their own; behaviour does.

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Firm management or workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying is not limited to shouting or overt abuse. Research consistently shows it takes more managerial forms, including:

• excessive or intrusive monitoring
• unreasonable or constantly shifting deadlines
• unmanageable workloads
• being given meaningless tasks — or no tasks at all
• disproportionate scrutiny applied to particular individuals

These behaviours are sometimes defended as “firm management”, “operational necessity”, or “performance management”. But repeatedly dressing harmful conduct up in managerial language does not make it benign — and it does not make it fair, effective, or lawful.

Research on compliance and bullying shows that bullying does not produce sustainable performance or engagement. Instead, it damages trust, undermines professional judgement, and corrodes workplace culture. (For a broader discussion, see: Does bullying increase compliance?)

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The harm is real — and well evidenced

Workplace bullying is not just unpleasant. It is harmful.

A growing body of evidence links prolonged exposure to bullying with serious and long-term health consequences, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease, and type-2 diabetes. The BBC has reported extensively on how workplace bullying can be more harmful than previously understood, particularly when it is persistent and unchecked.

Even more starkly, international studies show a strong association between workplace bullying and suicide-related behaviours, making this not only an employment issue but a public health concern. Prolonged exposure to bullying has been shown to significantly increase risk, regardless of sector, seniority, or background.

No employer should be comfortable dismissing this evidence.

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Bullying also costs institutions

Bullying is not only damaging to individuals — it is expensive for employers.

Organisations that tolerate bullying experience higher staff turnover, increased sickness absence, reduced productivity, and a culture of fear rather than creativity. In the UK alone, workplace bullying is estimated to cost employers around £18 billion per year through lost productivity, absenteeism, and staff replacement.

High staff turnover, increased sickness absence, reduced productivity, and a toxic workplace culture are all well-documented outcomes. In the UK alone, workplace bullying is estimated to cost employers around £18 billion per year:

For universities — institutions that rely on intellectual labour, collaboration, and trust — the cost is even greater.

A demoralised academic workforce cannot deliver educational excellence, meaningful research, or a positive student experience.

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Staff are not expendable

Academic staff are not interchangeable units of labour. They are a complex mix of skills, experience, disciplinary expertise, pastoral care, innovation, and institutional memory. Universities thrive when this human capital is respected and supported — not managed through fear or attrition.

Dignity and respect should not exist solely in policy documents hidden on a website. They must be visible in everyday interactions, management practices, and how concerns are handled when things go wrong.

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So, BU — a choice remains

Will the University continue to allow bullying to be reframed as “robust management”, fostering a culture where fear, silence, and job insecurity take root?

Or will it become an employer that genuinely fosters a safe, healthy, and inclusive working environment — where staff are listened to, protected, and treated with respect?

Policies alone will not answer that question. Practice will.

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What can you do if you experience or witness bullying?

You are not alone — and you do not have to tolerate it.

• Recognise it. If behaviour feels oppressive, demeaning, or designed to undermine you, trust your instincts. UCU’s guidance on identifying bullying can help clarify what you’re experiencing.
• Report it. UCU provides clear advice on what to do if you are being bullied or harassed, including how to document concerns and seek support.
• Speak up as a bystander. Bullying thrives on silence. If you witness bullying, UCU’s bystander guidance explains how to challenge it safely and effectively.

Bullying thrives on silence. Collective action — recognising, reporting, and supporting one another — is how workplace cultures change.

If you are affected, or if you are seeing patterns in your area, contact BU UCU. Your union exists to defend dignity at work — not just on paper, but in practice.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

In solidarity,

BU UCU Executive Team