Disciplinary and grievance procedures were not the best way to deal with bullying at work, a conference was told yesterday.
Delegates were told that existing procedures were embedded in a "culture of blame" which pitted accusers against alleged bullies in battles that caused damage to all parties.
The conference in Dublin on workplace distress was organised by Moving On, a self-help group working with people who have experienced bullying.
Two speakers said existing disciplinary procedures should be replaced by a more proactive and open approach by employers.
Dr Bryony Crowe, an Irish-trained psychiatrist based in Bristol, said complaints of bullying at work were increasing.
Employers, she said, should view bullying as a health and safety issue. There was no dramatic event, but bullying could result in the loss of the work of at least two employees.
In the culture of blame there was no effective way of dealing with bullying.
"Employers make great efforts to distance themselves from any association with this type of culture, yet the current grievance structure is deeply embedded in it," she said.
The usual procedure was that someone was identified as a bully, and must then prove their innocence. The only way they could do this was by calling their accuser a liar. No matter which side "won", the business suffered.
Dr Crowe proposed a range of methods of dealing with bullying involving the offer of "appropriate" support to both sides.
She said employers should recognise that bullying could occur "upwards", meaning that supervisors could also be victims.
Mike Watts, national co-ordinator of Grow, which offers support to people with mental health difficulties, said communication and adult education were the best ways to deal with bullying.
Disciplinary procedures and litigation tended to label people, and "set up defensive systems which in the long run have very little benefit for anyone".