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 The International Labor Organization identifies workplace bullying as
“Incidents where staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, including commuting to and from work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well being or health”.
Over the past decade, reports of violence in the workplace have grabbed headlines over and over. Several high profile workplace murders tilted the focus of those concerned about workplace violence to employees who murder their coworkers. In reality, these cases, while a cause for grave concern, account for a minute percentage of workplace bullying incidents. In fact, in several cases of murdering employees, the perpetrator has been identified as a victim of harassment who snapped and struck back. This profile fits the one developed on students who go on murderous rampages at school. It seems a valid suggestion to apply the same principles of bully management in the workplace as are now widely being accepted in school settings.
What Is Workplace Bullying? Workplace bullying can be identified using the same criteria as that used to identify bullying anywhere – a series of incidents that happen over time between persons or groups of people with a disparity of power, whose intent is to physically, emotionally or otherwise damage the victim of the bullying.
In the workplace, bullying may take the form of:
Spreading rumors and gossip that undermines a person’s ability to work excluding a person socially from workplace events intimidating a person deliberately undermining work done by a person physically abusing or threatening abuse setting a person up for failure by withholding information, setting impossible deadlines or giving wrong information deliberately making offensive jokes and comments in the hearing of the target or via email intruding on privacy assigning unreasonable work to one person consistently yelling or using profanity constantly criticizing and belittling a person’s work and opinions blocking applications for training, leave or promotion tampering with a person's personal belongings or work equipment. blaming errors on others raising false concerns about work done by others making unreasonable demands inconsistent enforcement of arbitrary rules stealing credit for another's work
This is not a comprehensive list of all tactics that may be used to bully others in the workplace. It is intended to open eyes to the possibilities of actions that may be part of a campaign of intimidation and bullying in the workplace.
The Prevalence of Workplace Bullying Studies conducted on bullying and intimidation in the workplace show that the problem is widespread. It happens on the factory floors and in the boardrooms. Nurses, sales clerks, secretaries and lawyers all report being bullied or mistreated regularly by someone in authority over them, or by another co-worker at their own level of authority. Most studies have found that there is no gender difference – males and females are equally likely to bully and become victims of bullies. In a survey conducted by the International Labor Organization, 9% of those surveyed reported that they were exposed to bullying and intimidation In Australia, a survey of the Australian Confederation of Trade Unions concluded that 42% of workplace stress was related to workplace bullying A study of 270 nurses reported that 30% of the nurses surveyed were exposed to verbal abuse and public humiliation daily. In a U.S. study of nearly 1000 employees, 27.2% reported being mistreated in a variety of ways within the past year
The Effects of Workplace Bullying The effects of workplace bullying are no less severe than those of the schoolyard bully. Workers subjected to bullying in the workplace suffer from stress-related problems that affect their work, their social lives and their home lives. Specifically, in a large survey, workers who identified themselves as victims of workplace bullies listed the following effects of workplace bullying:
Stress, anxiety, tension Social isolation at work Lowered self esteem Strains on personal relationships due to stress at work Headaches, backaches, stomachaches and depression Deterioration of work quality Anti social behaviour, impact on family/relationships Stress-related illnesses and headaches Anxiety, depression; self blame Stomach disorders and skin rashes Disempowerment Lethargy and sleep disturbance Anger; irritability Loss of concentration Loss of self esteem, lowered self confidence Loss of income; loss of potential income Panic attacks Reluctance to go to work Uncertainty of self Actively seeking other positions Post traumatic stress disorder Pressure to take jobs below his/her capacity
In addition, the costs to employers include Employee sick days for stress related illnesses Lost time due to distraction caused by bullying Medical costs for victims of physical bullying incidents Training new employees when bullied employees leave Diminished work capacity of entire office due to atmosphere of bullying
In the Extreme – Violence in the Workplace Over the past 15 years, reports of murderous employees bent on retaliation have grabbed headlines, but they don’t reveal the depth and complexity of the problem. Just as youngsters who open fire on classmates at school have a reason for choosing school as the site of their explosion, employees who come to work one day and open fire on their fellow employees often have similar histories of perceived abuse and escalating violence.
And just as the original reaction to the Columbine shootings focused on identifying and intervention with victims of bullying as a potential danger, so too did the first interventions into workplace violence focus on potentially dangerous ‘victims’. While it is important for employers to be aware of potentially violent employees, it is far more important for them to gauge the overall atmosphere of the workplace. Some symptoms of excessive stress in the workplace – which can often be traced to a pattern of bullying by management – are: High employee absence rates Increased employee turnover Many sick days taken for stress related illnesses Increased costs for EAP (employee assistance programs) An increase of accidents/incidents in the workplace Decreased productivity A general sense of high tension in the workplace
These are all warning signals that there is a problem in the workplace. That problem can, and often does, relate to bullying or harassment.
What Employers Can Do As with any other form of bullying, the first step in wiping out workplace bullying is to recognize that the problem exists, and document the extent of the problem. These two steps can and should take place independently. Dealing with a single case of workplace bullying should not be contingent upon deciding how widespread the problem is. Once the problem has been acknowledged, management and employees can begin taking proactive steps to reduce and eventually eliminate bullying in the workplace. The single most important element in reducing workplace bullying is the existence of a company wide policy on fair treatment of all workers. That policy should: Clearly define harassment and bullying as being violations of the fair treatment policy Clearly set out consequences for violations of the fair treatment policy Give concrete examples of unacceptable behavior. State your company’s view of workplace bullying in clear terms. Outline the process by which complaints will be handled. Outline a confidential process by which employees can report suspected bullying incidents without fear of reprisal. Make a commitment to support bullying targets. Make a commitment to provide training on handling workplace violence and bullying. Offer confidential Employee Assistance Program to employees who need help resolving personal problems. Encourage reporting of workplace bullying incidents by all employees. Be enforceable and regularly enforced without regard to employee status
When employees believe that they are valued contributors to the company’s well being, they are more likely to cooperate with an anti-bullying program. They must believe that management will listen and will take steps to alleviate the problem. Send a clear message to all employees that harassment and bullying will not be tolerated. Give employees a way to report workplace bullying and harassment without fear of retribution. Make it clear that your company considers workplace bullying a serious problem that will be investigated and resolved. Treat all complaints seriously, and investigate them promptly.
What Employees Can Do Sometimes, all it takes to stop bullying in its tracks is for coworkers to openly identify the actions as bullying. Particularly in cases where some of the reward for bullying stems from the approval of coworkers, pointing out the bullying can completely undermine it. If your company doesn’t have a policy that protects employees from bullying and harassment, suggest one. Management may not recognize that there is bullying, or may prefer to sweep it under the rug. A concerted effort by employees can bring it to the forefront. Support coworkers who are being bullied. Often, part of the frustration of being the target of a workplace bully is uncertainty. Workplace bullies may be expert at hiding their intentions and actions behind concern or even anonymity. Letting a bullied coworker know that you see what is happening can help validate their own feelings and give them the strength to stand up to it. Report workplace bullying when you see it, whether you are the target or not. Do not participate. Jokes that belittle and demean are harmful – not only to the target, but to the atmosphere of the workplace. You don’t have to be a hero – just don’t laugh. Document everything. Documentation can reveal a pattern when individual incidents seem minor and no cause for concern. Documentation is especially helpful if you’re not the target of the bullying, but a bystander. Confront the bully.
Confronting a bully is not always easy, but it can be one of the most effective means of ending bullying. See the section on confronting workplace bullies below for more advice on tackling workplace bullying head-on.
What To Do If You’re Being Bullied At Work For many, admitting to being bullied at work is a shameful thing. After all, the widely believed myth is that only the weak are bullied. Before you do anything else, set that myth to rest. Workplace bullying targets are often chosen BECAUSE they are capable and do their work well. The target of workplace bullying is not to blame for being chosen. The following steps are recommended by Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. FIRMLY tell the person that the behavior is unacceptable and ask them to stop doing it. In some cases, if you do not take this step, the bully can use the defense that he didn’t realize that his behavior was a problem. If you are uncomfortable approaching the person alone, you can ask a union representative to be present. DOCUMENT everything. Documentation can help establish the severity of a series of events, and help resolve the situation. Record The date, time and details of the incident The names of witnesses. The outcome of the event. Remember, it is not just the character of the incidents, but the number, frequency, and especially the pattern that can reveal the bullying or harassment. KEEP copies of any communications from the person. Include memos, emails, phone messages – anything in writing or recorded that supports your claim. Report the incidents along with your concerns to the person responsible for enforcing a safe workplace. If there is no one identified, report it to your supervisor. If your concerns are fluffed off, take it to the next level of management. DO NOT RETALIATE. No matter how tempting it is, do not stoop to retaliation. Avoid name-calling or any other behavior that can reflect badly on you, or make you look like the perpetrator instead of the target. Maintain professionalism at all times.
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Bully Solutions
