The WorkSafe campaign comes after research revealed at least 15 per cent of employees were subjected to some kind of bullying.

The workshops and the new Occupational Health and Safety Act aim to cut the number of workplace bullying cases that cost between $6 billion and $13 billion in lost productivity and absenteeism across

Australia.

WorkCover minister John Lenders said workplaces could not afford to let bullying go unchecked.

"The personal and financial cost of bullying to the community is enormous and growing," Mr Lenders said.

"Since July 2000, when it first became possible to make a WorkCover claim for harassment, the number of claims has steadily increased.

"The cost of these claims indicates the full extent of bullying on employees' health - the average cost for a stress claim is $41,186 compared to $23,441 for a physical injury claim."

Victorian WorkCover Authority communications adviser Paul Fallon said that cost had been realised in Ballarat last year.

"A Ballarat company was fined $50,000 for bullying and an individual worker was also fined $10,000.

"It was a landmark case that showed how serious bullying is," Mr Fallon said.

The forum, which will also visit Wangaratta, Shepparton, Melbourne, Geelong, Warrnambool, Bendigo, Horsham, Warracknabeal, Traralgon and Swan Hill, will be in Ballarat next year.

The workshops will be open to the public and include speakers from WorkSafe, employer groups and unions, and will provide information on how to introduce anti-workplace bullying policies and what

to do if bullying occurs.