Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact on levels of loneliness and social isolation among affected people of workplace (a) harassment and (b) discrimination and bullying; and if he will take steps to encourage employers to introduce policies on harassment and bullying which aim to reduce those levels.

There is evidence that discrimination, bullying and disrespect are triggers of loneliness. In the coming months the Government will publish the fourth annual report on the loneliness strategy, including a commitment to engage with the APPG for Tackling Loneliness and Connecting Communities on their recent inquiry into workplace loneliness.

The Government has published guidance that sets out the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has published useful guidance on how to deal with bullying in the workplace. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work/being-bullied.