Workplace bullying and harassment at sea: A structured literature review

Abstract

Seafaring is a masculine-coded occupation with a strong professional culture that values practical experience. Traditionally, youths were accepted on board ships to be guided, socialised, and often bullied into the working and living cultures at sea. The maritime industry is characterised by several factors known from research to constitute a hotbed for workplace bullying and harassment, such as sustained high workload, role conflicts, jargon, and precarious work. Women and minority groups are especially exposed to bulling and harassment in these kind of working environments. At policy level, these issues are addressed by the International Safety Management Code and the Maritime Labour Convention, which require employers to identify and prevent occupational safety and health risks. This study analyses the extent and scope of the peer reviewed literature on workplace bulling and harassment at sea, and what recommendations have been proposed in previous research. The results show that workplace bullying and harassment is a substantial problem in the maritime industry. While research in this field is growing, there is a general need for future research based on strong research designs. Given the complete lack of scientific intervention studies, this should be prioritised in future research. Further, there is a need to address underlying causes of workplace bullying and harassment and ensure decent employment and working conditions at sea. Managers ashore as well as officers on board must be provided with adequate resources, usable tools, and sufficient time for a proactive work. This work should be included as part of the safety management system.