Regional public sector workers experience workplace bullying and harassment, according to government census

More than one in every five public servants in regional WA have experienced workplace bullying or harassment in the past year, according to latest government data. The census, by the Public Sector Commission, revealed 22.2 per cent of regional staff claim to have suffered in the past 12 months, which is slightly higher than that for their metropolitan colleagues at 18.1 per cent. It also found that an overwhelming number of the claims of workplace bullying or harassment, 86 per cent, was perpetrated by people in the same agency. Community and Public Sector Union and Civil Service Association of WA branch secretary Rikki Hendon said the numbers in the census were concerning. “It’s quite clear the results of the public sector census, it show us that it’s almost 20 per cent of respondents had experienced bullying or harassment, so that’s quite significant, it is quite prevalent clearly in the sector,” she said. “When you reflect on workload pressure across the sector it is certainly exacerbated in regional WA, it can be very challenging to attract and retain staff to do public sector work in regional WA. “There’s a lot expected of people in delivering public services in regional WA, and that additional pressure probably does not assist with supporting good behaviour in the workplace.” The data released in late October was made up of responses by more than 47,000 employees, roughly 30 per cent of the workforce, and shows more than 9000 staff reported incidents in the workplace. It also shows one in 10 workers experience discrimination in the workplace, mostly due to race, age and sex. The proportion was also higher in the regional areas with 11.7 per cent saying they had faced discrimination compared to about 10 per cent in the metro area. Ms Hendon said better training for staff as they’re promoted could make a difference. “I do think some really strong centralised guidance from Federal agencies like the Public Sector Commission can do a world of good in terms of how you set the tone of how do you foster a positive workplace culture,” she said. “I think those sorts of central agencies have a really important role to play in making sure for example that as people move through the ranks in their work that they’re given some really purposeful development about how to be a good manager.”