'Horrendous' workplace bullying in Christchurch

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Incidents of "horrendous" workplace bullying have risen sharply as businesses deal with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, a union claims.

Unite Union today today said it has been flooded with calls from its members in Christchurch since the earthquake on February 22.

Organiser Matt Jones said cases of abuse had been reported in all sectors, including retail, fast-food, security and call centres.

"It has been extremely difficult to keep up with the number of cases of bullying we have to deal with. People are incredibly stressed during this difficult time and we're working closely with employers to get the issues resolved quickly."

Jones accused many employers of stone-walling the union as it attempted to resolve the incidents.

He called on businesses to recognise the pressure on managers and staff, respond promptly to complaints and provide anti-bullying training and support.

"The disappointing thing is that some employers seem to have a 'couldn't care less' attitude.

"Giving someone an extra dollar or two an hour and giving them a badge doesn't equip them to deal with the reality of running a work place."

"During this crises period the failure of some of the biggest employers to train and support work-site management in dealing with the fallout at work has become alarmingly clear."

Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said many employees across Christchurch were showing "classic" signs of post-traumatic stress.

He said common problems included short tempers, intolerance, dizziness and shortness of breath.

Those complaints had worsened since last week's 5.6 and 6.3 magnitude aftershocks - increasing incidents of bullying, he said.

"That event has had a really major psychological effect on our community.

"It's just about as hard as it can get around here... For a lot of people, there's just no fuel left in the tank.

"It's really beholden on employers to provide a supportive environment."

He rejected Jones' allegation employers were not responding to bullying complaints quickly and effectively.

"We've had no reports like that. That's what you would expect from a union.

"I'm certainly not seeing poor behaviour on the part of employers. We're seeing some really good responses to a stressful environment.

"Employers are stepping up to the plate."

Townsend said many Canterbury employers were also dealing with severe stress.