Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the issue of workplace bullying. We would not think it was acceptable for people to come to work and be exposed to asbestos or toxic chemicals. We should not think, therefore, that it is appropriate for them to be exposed to the toxic behaviour that is sustained and malicious bullying. I believe that this kind of bullying is something which can be eradicated. We have changed attitudes on smoking in the workplace and on sexual harassment; there is no reason why we cannot eliminate forever bullying in the workplace.

Bullying is an absence of kindness and empathy toward one’s fellow human beings. We cannot eradicate the monster of unkindness which lives within some people or make it illegal, but we can remove it from the artificial environment which is the workplace. Bullying does not happen in a vacuum. It flows from the general culture of a workplace. If respect and dignity are absent from a workplace then bullying and cruelty are given a chance to thrive.

We also need to encourage people to report bullying, and there are those who need to be listened to. Too often the bearer of bad news in workplaces is ignored or punished because no-one wants to admit that their organisation may have a problem. Too often when cases of bullying are eventually exposed we wonder why we did not spot the signs earlier and why nothing was done to intervene.

Tragically, the issue has come to public attention in recent months through the heavy fines laid against four men over the death of Brodie Panlock, a 19-year-old Victorian girl who committed suicide after what a magistrate described as ‘persistent and vicious bullying’ at a cafe in Hawthorn where she worked. The details of the bullying were horrendous. They included physical assault, intimidation and a level of relentless emotional degradation that was enough to make a wonderfully happy and stable person from a loving family believe that suicide was her only option.

The men were charged by WorkSafe Victoria for failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons, and were fined $335,000 by the courts. I think that the unprecedented level of the fines and—even more importantly—the public outrage over the men’s behaviour shows that there is a new lack of tolerance for any such kind of conduct.

Safe Work Australia records that over 4,000 complaints of workplace bullying or harassment were reported to state authorities over the last three years. Sadly, 50 of these cases resulted in suicide or attempted suicide. And these cases are only the ones that are reported to the authorities. For adults in positions of responsibility and authority to bully their fellow workers is absolutely unacceptable. Work makes up a big part of our lives and is a big part of how we define ourselves. To feel unsafe, humiliated or worthless at work damages a person’s life, and the effects last long after the person has left the workplace. (Time expired)