A 2021 study from VIVE shows that a staggering 40.8% of employees have experienced offensive behavior in the past year at their workplace, including bullying or discrimination. The causes of such behavior are not always clear-cut but are often related to factors like gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, etc. However, employees most commonly cite ethnicity and gender as reasons for the discrimination they’ve experienced (VIVE 2021).

Anti-Bullying at IBM

In 2019, IBM launched an initiative focused on preventing bullying across its approximately 300,000 employees worldwide. The initiative is part of IBM’s broader work with diversity and inclusion, aiming to create an open and safe work environment for all employees.

Specifically, the initiative includes a mandatory “anti-bullying” course for staff. Its purpose is to help employees better recognize and handle bullying at work, as well as understand how to prevent harassment in the workplace. The course is based on real-life examples of bullying in professional settings. There is a strong focus on fostering a culture where employees take action when witnessing bullying or offensive behavior — rather than standing by passively.

We asked Sanne Urbak, CSR Director at IBM Denmark, why IBM places such strong focus on anti-bullying. She responded:

“Because it helps bring our inclusion policy to life in everyday practice — so that it becomes more than just a well-worded document. It helps us realize our vision of being a company where everyone feels comfortable and therefore can contribute their best.”

Diversity & Inclusion at IBM

At IBM, there is a fundamental belief that upholding values like diversity, inclusion, and equity makes IBM a better and stronger company.

“When people bring their whole selves to work, they unlock innovation — and that’s how we keep growing as an organization. At its core, it’s about giving everyone equal opportunities — and that benefits us all,” says Sanne Urbak.