Just days after former company secretary Helen Green won more than £800,000 after her employers failed to stop office bullies, a new survey shows just how widespread the problem of bullying is.

The results from Peninsula’s survey indicate that 81 per cent of employees had been bullied at work – and 74 per cent would not complain to their boss if they were being harassed. When asked if their boss would take a complaint seriously, 77 per cent said ‘no’.

And this isn’t a case of people being super-sensitive, 91 per cent are positive they can tell the difference between teasing or joking and serious harassment.

There is a clear perception by 71 per cent of respondents that bullying is on the increase and 84 per cent believe that too many bullies get away with it.

But employers see things differently – 87 per cent said there was no problem with bullying in their organisation.

Some respondents – 34 per cent – did agree that bullying was on the increase. Employers also seem to find it much harder than their employees to tell the difference between joking remarks and harassment, with 42 per cent unable to differentiate.

Peninsula’s managing director Peter Done said that the discrepancy between the high instance of bullying and the number of firms who said it wasn’t a problem was a serious concern.

“This suggests that workers do not feel confident enough to tell their bosses they are being bullied, notably because they feel they would not be taken seriously,” he said.

“By taking such a stance towards bullying, employers are attempting to brush the problem under the carpet, which can have serious consequences.

“Bullying can exist in a variety of forms, ranging from physical to psychological abuse, for example from sending offensive emails and shouting insults to setting impossible work load deadlines.”

Discrimination against an individual regarding ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, trade union membership, disability or religion is strictly forbidden and can be brought before a tribunal.

But companies also need to be aware that following the law lords’ decision in the Majrowski case last month, cases of general bullying can be brought under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. These cases can be brought before the high court.

Done added: “In order to deal with bullying appropriately, you need to have an equal opportunities policy which is also reflected through contracts of employment.

“An environment of honesty should be created where employees are encouraged to inform their superiors of any issues that arise.

“If such rules are broken then bosses should talk to the individual or individuals concerned to gain an insight into the extent of the problem and how best to solve it. But if it becomes a persistent problem then appropriate action should be taken.

“Bullying is a grave issue in the modern business world, which can have a substantial effect upon work place productivity and relationships.”