Low-Paid Workers Are Facing a Surge in Workplace Bullying

New data from Monaco Solicitors shows that low-paid workers are facing a surge in bullying in the workplace.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, Monaco Solicitors’ in-house data shows a sevenfold rise in people earning under £30,000 a year seeking legal help for workplace issues. Enquiries jumped from just 163 in September 2024 to over 1,000 a month by mid-2025.

Behind those numbers are individuals in low-paid, often insecure roles, people facing bullying, unfair treatment, or being quietly “managed out.” These workers have the fewest protections, the least flexibility, and when something goes wrong, they’re often priced out of justice.

Alex Monaco is the founder of Monaco Solicitors and the brains behind Grapple Law, an AI-powered law firm that answers legal questions, explains your rights, and can even draft professional legal documents on headed paper at no cost. He says that nearly half of all discrimination-related enquiries they have received involve mental or physical health conditions such as ADHD, autism, and depression. The next most common factor is race or ethnicity, at 17%.

“This suggests a wider cultural problem that neurodiverse and disabled employees, as well as those managing long-term health conditions, are disproportionately targeted for unfair treatment,” he says. “Many are dismissed or sidelined under the pretext of “performance” or “fit,” when the real issue is a lack of understanding or willingness to accommodate difference. In over 20 years of practising employment law, I’ve seen countless people with valid claims walk away because they couldn’t afford legal fees. Access to justice remains a privilege, and that’s wrong.”

The data shows that low earners, new parents, neurodiverse employees, and those requesting flexible work are among the most frequently targeted. Yet these are the very people least able to pay for help.

“That’s why we built Grapple Law, an AI-powered law firm that levels the playing field. Grapple Law answers legal questions, explains your rights, and can send emails from the law firm and negotiate on your behalf!

Take Catherine*, for example. After disclosing her ADHD diagnosis, she asked her employer for reasonable adjustments. Instead of receiving support, she was sidelined and told her job was “at risk.” Feeling isolated, she turned to Grapple Law and, within minutes, she understood her rights, generated the documents she needed, and re-engaged with her employer confidently and professionally.”

Alex says that’s the power of accessible technology, putting legal knowledge into people’s hands, no matter their income. Bullying and discrimination aren’t new problems. But the growing divide between those who can afford legal help and those who can’t is.

Employers have a choice, according to Monaco; they can wait for these issues to become claims or build workplaces where fairness, flexibility, and inclusion are the norm. “With Grapple Law, we’re helping ensure that everyone can stand up for their rights, because justice should never depend on your pay slip.”

If you or someone you know is struggling at work, contact Grapple Law for free legal support.

*Name changed to protect privacy.