Workplace Bullying Risk with Mary Cullen

Workplace bullying isn’t rare — it’s a persistent, under-recognised business risk that quietly erodes culture, trust, and retention.In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham speaks with Mary Cullen, Founder and Managing Director at Insight HR and host of The HR Room, to unpack the findings from the Insight HR Irish Workplace Bullying Report 2026.Together, they explore what workplace bullying really means in practice — and why the legal definition often clashes with employee expectations. Mary shares patterns she sees time and again: complaints most frequently involve managers, the emotional toll affects both the accuser and accused, and unresolved issues often lead to exits, damaged trust, and long-term cultural harm.The conversation goes beyond definitions to tackle what organisations get wrong. Many companies have policies, but far fewer invest in meaningful training, conflict resolution skills, or investigation capability. Bill and Mary also challenge the idea of “zero tolerance,” particularly when high performers are protected despite poor behaviour.You’ll learn why complaints can spike during restructuring or performance management cycles, why malicious complaints are less common than assumed, and the single most effective step organisations can take to reduce risk quickly: train managers properly.In this episode: What the latest Irish data reveals about bullying complaints  The difference between bullying and poor management behaviour  Why legal thresholds create confusion in real workplaces  The impact on mental health, performance, and retention  Where most organisations fall short (even with policies in place)  Why “zero tolerance” often fails in practice  How to reduce risk quickly with limited budget If you care about psychological safety, employee relations, and building a culture where people actually want to stay — this episode is essential listening.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events