Nine out of ten UK staff say that they have been the victim of workplace bullying, according to research by the Andrea Adams Trust.

The survey of 10,000 employees found that 92% felt that they had been the victim of taunts and intimidation in their office.

The research also found that 56% think bullying is a big problem in their workplace, with almost half of those polled also revealing that their manager has bullied them.

Workplace bullying can be very harmful to a business - as shown by a poll from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

The CMI found that the practice costs UK businesses £13bn a year due to decreased productivity, motivation and increased sick leave.

"The economic downturn puts workers under greater strain than ever before. There is a very real danger that incidences of bullying in the workplace will hugely increase because of this," said Lyn Witheridge, chief executive of the Andrea Adams Trust.