PREVENTING workplace bullying and boosting morale is the theme of the latest PACE Network seminar to be staged next Wednesday in Bury.

The event will be held at Bury College's Business Solutions in the town's Link House between 3pm and 5pm. Keynote speaker will be Alison Todd, Bury College's director of human resources.

The seminar comes in the wake of research which has disclosed that 87 per cent of human resources professionals have witnessed or have been made aware of bullying in their organisation.

Event organisers say that workplace bullying is very damaging to productivity and that sickness absence rates tend to be higher when bullying behaviour goes unchallenged. Twenty five per cent of staff who are bullied leave their organisation as do 20 per cent of colleagues who witness bullying.

Topics include identifying bullying behaviour, the legal position and ideas to help prevent workplace and bullying harassment.

The cost of the seminar is £10 per person plus VAT. To book a place, contact Michelle Lomax on 765 3662 or e-mail her at: michelle.lomax@burycollege.ac.uk