To what extent is Bullying and HarassmentPresent within the Student Placement Workplace?

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the extent of bullying and harassment within the year long student placement workplace.  It will investigate the protocols of the human resource practices and legislations with regards to bullying and harassment.

Human Resource management is a key aspect of understanding bullying and harassment within the workplace, but it is unclear whether the legislations are put into place and abided by in order to ensure the happy and friendly environment to which all staff in any workplace are entitled. It is essential that this research proves whether or not these students were disparaged by other members of staff and if the students who were subject to unpleasantness ultimately left their placement.

‘Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work. Bullying and Harassment of any kind are in no-one’s interest and should not be tolerated in the workplace’ (ACAS, 2011)

The literature review begins by discussing bullying and harassment and how there is not one clear definition of it, as well as the different forms in which it can occur, as cited in Tehrani (2001). It then goes on to discuss the possibility of bullying and harassment being institutionalized and that these forms of abuse are handed down from one generation of workers to the next. Human Resource Practices and Legislation are both a key focus of the literature, with particular interest being given to ACAS and Employment Legislation as well as what an internship offer university students.

The paper gathers information through the implementation of semi-structured interviews which consist of 14 questions, to 17 volunteers. The questions included in the interviews were based upon previous research on the topic as well as current literature available about workplace bullying and harassment. Significant differences emerged between a number of students’ placements, some witnessing bullying and harassment whereas others were unaware of it occurring within their workplace. 

The paper concluded that bullying and harassment is apparent within students’ placement experiences and some human resource departments were often regarded as ineffective in relation to support networks. Although these conclusions are helpful in determining that bullying and harassment is still present within the student placement workplace, further research is required in order to establish how much information is actually given to students at the start of their placement in connection with bullying and harassment policies. It is thought that although human resource departments have many legislative procedures which must be abided by regarding bullying and harassment, staff cannot be forced to complain, therefore meaning bullies are not made accountable for their actions.

Please note that for the purpose of this paper, a student’s placement will also be referred to as an internship.