Employees have been warned that the cost of bullying to UK business is now over the £2 billion a year mark and firms open themselves to costly litigation if they do not act on the issue.

November 7^th 2006 was National Ban Bullying at Work Day and insurer Allianz Cornhill’s Legal Protection has warned that although employers may have an anti-bullying process it is of little use unless it is implemented when allegations are made.

Union Amicus says that one in five staff members of UK firms are bullied at work every day. It leads to some 18.9 million lost working days and costs individual companies an average of ten percent of their annual profits.

Allianz said that while 80 percent of firms say they have anti-bullying policies in place, only two percent take a zero tolerance approach. Worryingly, 97 percent of businesses say they have never measured the impact of bullying on their company.

David Vine, business manager for the insurer, said: “Simply having anti-bullying policies in place will not ensure a harassment free environment for staff.

“It is important for companies to have initiatives which are created and implemented by the workforce so all employees realise their responsibilities should bullying come to their attention. It may even prompt an appraisal of their own behaviour.”

Employers can open themselves to costly law suits if they fail to act and liability insurance is seen as a must for businesses of any size.