House bill vs. workplace bullying filed, includes spreading rumor, false info

A bill against workplace bullying filed at the House of Representatives has included spreading rumors and false information as a form of the offense.

House Bill 8446, authored by ACT-CIS party-list Representative Jocelyn Tulfo and her son, Quezon City Representative Ralph Wendell Tulfo, includes "offering, publishing, distributing, circulating, or spreading rumors, false news and information, gossip about, or any act against or directed against an employer, a co-employee, or any person with whom he/she has professional relations or dealings" as a form of office bullying.

The bill defines office bullying as anything that "infringes on the rights of another at work premises" or anything that places the employee "in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property creating a hostile environment for the employee; or materially and substantially disrupting the work process or the orderly operation of an institution or business."

Also included in the proposed prohibited acts are any unwanted physical contact, using foul language and name-calling, gender-based bullying, and cyberbullying.

These include disrespecting and devaluing a co-worker, exercising management by threats and intimidation, stealing credit and taking unfair advantage of a co-worker, and preventing access to workplace, career, and office opportunities to a co-worker.

The bill calls on all government and non-government offices to adopt policies to address office bullying.

"Adopting policies against bullying in the workplace would ensure every Filipino worker's right to just and humane working conditions, mutual respect amongst employees and their employers, and dignity in their work will be observed," the authors said. —Tina Panganiban-Perez/KBK, GMA Integrated News