Have You Been Bullied At Work

[robins72]

Bullied City worker wins £800,000

A City worker employed in a "department from hell" has won about £800,000 damages for bullying.

Helen Green, 36, sued Deutsche Bank Group Services (UK) Ltd claiming harassment by colleagues and a lack of support from bosses.

She said colleagues stonewalled her, laughed in her face, blew raspberries and told her: "You stink". But the firm denied any bullying or harassment.

After the ruling, she said bullying was a widespread hidden menace in the City.

Mr Justice Owen, at the High Court, said Miss Green had been subjected to a "relentless campaign of mean and spiteful behaviour designed to cause her distress".

'Crying at desk'

She said she had suffered psychiatric injury after working in the bank's secretariat division from 1997 - when she joined as a company secretary assistant - until 2001.

The court heard Miss Green, of Tower Hamlets, east London, was verbally abused, ignored and denigrated to the point where she would sit at her desk silently crying.

Made to feel uncomfortable by "crude and lewd comments", her colleagues would remove her name from circulation lists, hide her post and remove papers from her desk, she told the court.

The court heard Miss Green believed she was targeted by four women - Valerie Alexander, manager of the insurance division; her PA Fiona Gregg; telephone directory administrator Daniella Dolbear; and Jenny Dixon, a PA.

Deutsche Bank headquarters in Frankfurt

Deutsche Bank denied any bullying

She denied doing anything to justify their behaviour and said she never talked down to them.

She was promoted twice before she received stress counselling in March 2000, paid for by the company, and assertiveness training.

In September 2000, she had a nervous breakdown and was in hospital on suicide watch.

Five months later, she returned to work but relapsed. Her job was kept open until September 2003 when her employment was terminated.

Medical experts on both sides agreed she developed a depressive disorder but could not agree on the cause.

All City businesses will have to do more than pay lip-service to this hidden menace

Helen Green

Deutsche Bank denied breach of statutory duty or bullying, instead relying on Miss Green's vulnerability to mental illness.

The bank's counsel, Geoffrey Brown, said evidence given on Ms Green's behalf appeared to be describing the "department from hell".

The judge awarded her £35,000 for pain and suffering, £25,000 for her disadvantage in the labour market, £128,000 for lost earnings and £640,000 for future loss of earnings including a pension.

After the ruling, Miss Green, now training for an academic career, said: "My case was not an isolated one. At the trial the court heard evidence about other victims.

"Not only does Deutsche Bank have to put its house in order, but all City businesses will have to do more than pay lip-service to this hidden menace."

A spokeswoman for the bank said: "Deutsche Bank respects the judgment of the court. No decision about whether to appeal has been made at this stage."

[dagest]

Hmm, not yet, but I'm thinking about it.

In all seriousness, if it's true it's probably pretty unpleasant.

Having said that I've been accused of bullying on here.

[mozo]

Having said that I've been accused of bullying on here.

Blew up in your face with me though - the caravan/trainspotter taunts merely endeared me to the rabble

[dagest]

Blew up in your face with me though - the caravan/trainspotter taunts merely endeared me to the rabble

You know I feel bad Moz old fruit.

Yes, you just took it all on board, which shows the calibre of man you are.

[mozo]

You know I feel bad Moz old fruit.

Yes, you just took it all on board, which shows the calibre of man you are.

See you in court

[KevinC]

I have faced intimidation and bullying in my work from several members of church who have given me a very hard time over the past couple of years. It is difficult to put into words exactly what it is like to be bullied in one's job, particularly in a so called "caring" environment, but believe me there are some very unpleasant people involved in religious institutions as much as anywhere else.

Without going into too much detail I took three months sick leave with depression and am only now getting back into the swing of things with the help of my doctor and some friends, but have had several knockbacks from the bullies themselves and minimal support from my superiors. Most clergy have to put up with it because we are housed by the church, and no job = no home, and all the insecurity it gives to our families.

on 1st. January 2006 the Church of England formulated the "Clergy Discipline Measure" which gives the appropriate procedures for dealing with complaints against clergy, but there are as yet no plans to produce proection for those employed by the Church against harrassment and bullying tacticsfrom within our congregations. Perhaps the only way to combat this kind of behaviour would be for me to sue those who have tried to make life a misery for me, though I can't see the bishops liking it - they prefer to keep trouble out of the newspapers.

[dagest]

I have to say rev, bullying in the clergy is a revelation for me.

[Dorset_Cider]

I'd be owed millions.................if I could be arsed to claim?