Bullying is something we normally associate with the school playground.

Sniping and back-biting are antics you expect from children, but a new survey has found that bullying is no longer something that happens behind the school gates.

According to a survey conducted by the Samaritans, more than a staggering 80 per cent of Yorkshire workers have been bullied during their careers and a third are so stressed they have contemplated quitting Britain to live abroad.

Today is Stress Down Day, organised by the Samaritans to highlight the problem of stress in the workplace.

The Samaritans, a national charity offering 24-hour confidential and emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, says some people claim their working life is becoming so stressful they feel it is taking over their home life. More than half of them had seen colleagues reduced to tears through pressure.

Young employees (18 to 24-year-olds) are most vulnerable to stress, according to the survey. Many feel they are unable to talk to their managers or colleagues, compounding what is already a stressful situation.

Nearly half of those surveyed are more likely to be bullied by clients and customers, whereas more than half of the older age groups reported being bullied by managers.

Sue Harrison, below, director of the Bradford branch of the Samaritans, believes that playground bullying mirrors workplace bullying. "It's the back-biting, snide things, dirty looks, exclusion," she says. "You may not be asked to lunch with colleagues. It's all the same feelings and the same sort of behaviour but on a different level."

Standing up to a bullying boss is one way of dealing with the situation, according to Sue. "And if someone is making snide comments the manager should take them on one side," she adds.

Failure to identify what is causing the stress will only make the problem worse. "Stress impacts on people's lives in lots of different ways," says Sue. "It can cause a physical reaction, sleeping problems - we get people ringing us in the middle of the night - and drug and alcohol problems. All of these can be related to some sort of stress whether in the workplace or general life stress.

"We all feel stress for different things, and what is stressful for one person may not be for another. It is people's perceptions and they have their own coping strategies." Sue believes that some people, particularly front-line staff such as shop workers, feel they have to put on a brave face to the public and not show they are stressed. Others fear that sharing their feelings may go on record and prevent future promotions.

Those who can't cope fear reprisals from taking sick leave. "People have said things like If I'm off with stress people think I am skiving.' When they return they don't get empathy from colleagues, and management don't feel they have had a genuine illness."

Sue believes that seeking help and talking through problems are positive ways of alleviating the problem. "Workplaces need to look at the support they give to people and give some time to staff and talk about their problems," she says.

"You also have to have that ethos in the workplace that people will feel willing to talk, approach their manager and tell them how they are feeling, and ask for some help without it having a knock-on effect on their career.

"A lot of it is around people speaking out and having someone to support them. We are here 24/7 and we will talk to people about how they are feeling, look at their options and unpick the thoughts which are tumbling around in their head.

"We may explore with them what they want to do and how they can go about it. We don't judge people. We just look at what they need to change to make it happen," says Sue.

Fay Davies, workforce development manager for Bradford and Airedale PCT (Primary Care Trust), believes there is often confusion between the terms pressure' and stress'.

"While it is healthy and essential that people experience challenges within their lives that cause levels of pressure, too much pressure can be harmful and destructive to health," she says.

"Stress is the reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other demands placed upon them. There is a clear distinction between pressure, which can create a buzz' and be a motivating factor, and stress, which can occur when this pressure becomes excessive.

"Causes of stress are different for everybody. The same demands placed on two people may be a motivating factor for one and a cause of stress for another.

"Some individuals thrive on being placed under immense pressure, whereas other people find it difficult to cope when placed under a small amount of pressure. Everyone's point of healthy tension' is different and can vary at different times of life depending on what is going on in our personal lives and at work."

To coincide with the launch of the Samaritans' Stress Down Day, Sue from the Bradford branch is calling on the city's businesses to throw their support behind the national campaign.

The aim is to encourage people to take better care of their health at work and reduce damaging stress levels - by getting everyone in the country to wear their slippers for the day!

Participants can pay £2 for the privilege, enabling the Samaritans to continue their invaluable work.

  • For more information visit www.stressdownday.org. The Samaritans provides confidential, non-judgmental emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair. For more information call the Bradford branch on (01274) 547547 or email jo@samaritans.org