John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 355: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps his Department has taken to deal with bullying in the workplace; if his Department has a definition of the term "bullying"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23728/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In August 2004, my predecessor, Deputy Frank Fahey, then Minister with responsibility for labour affairs, established the expert advisory group on workplace bullying. I have received the report of the group and it is intended that the group's report will be submitted to Government in July 2005. I would hope to publish the report quite soon thereafter.

On the issue of a definition of the term "bullying", the definition in current use is that contained in the report of the task force on the prevention of workplace bullying which defines bullying as: ...repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual's right to dignity at work. An isolated incident of the behaviour described in this definition may be an affront to dignity at work but as a once off incident is not considered to be bullying.