Chichester mum uses her own experience of workplace bullying to support other victims

Rebecca Brown was bullied as a child, as a teen and then at a previous job for around three months — so severely that she dreaded every day and eventually walked out mid-shift.

Rebecca co-owns customer experience consultancy firm, Think Wow, with her husband, Dan. Together, they have now launched a new, free, scheme, which allows companies to analyse their current anti-bullying policies, as well as how their staff feel about bullying in the workplace and the general feeling around reporting it to other members of staff.

The idea came after Rebecca told her story on LinkedIn and was 'flooded with messages' from others who were in the same position as she was.

She said: "I realised that this was happening to so many people and I didn’t want people to go through the same thing as me, but I felt that I could only do so much for them over the internet, and didn’t feel qualified to give advice.

"I felt awful not to be able to help more which is why I wanted to go a step further."

Rebecca compiled a list of professional online resources that she would send people that came to her for advice. Eventually, she felt that she could do more to help to prevent others from going through the same thing and making victims' lives easier.

Rebecca and Dan have produced a seven-question survey, with the help of business partner CritiQuie. This customer analysis feedback tool is given to companies free of charge, who then ask their staff to complete it.

Employees can fill the form anonymously and the questions ask; if they, or anyone they know has been bullied; how comfortable they feel reporting it; if they recognise the signs of bullying and how well they understand bullying in the workplace and the policies surrounding it.

Rebecca and Dan then produce a report which is given back to the firm, as well as a 'host of anti-bullying resources', so they can work on what is needed and 'essentially put an end to bullying in their workforce'.

Rebecca said: "I don’t believe every bully is a bad person, sometimes people don’t even realise what they are doing is bullying — which is why it is even more important to us to raise awareness of it, highlight the signs and make sure people know that what they say can have a lasting effect on someone."

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