Workplace Bully - The Loading Dock Bully

Case History II: The Loading Dock Bully

Richard, 29, works on the loading dock for a major U.S. shipping company. When his boss orders that an improperly loaded truck be unloaded and reloaded the right way, Richard ‘accidentally’ throws a 30 pound package to his supervisor when the man’s back is turned.

The supervisor requires a trip to the emergency room for a laceration to the back of his head. The incident is recorded as an industrial accident and no action is taken against Richard.

In reality, this incident is only the latest in a series of ‘accidents’ that happen when Richard’s work is questioned or when he is asked to do extra work. It’s well-known among Richard’s coworkers that crossing Richard can be dangerous – but most of them are afraid to report him for fear of having him turn on them.

He often turns his caustic wit to belittling members of management, and occasionally other employees who are recognized by management as good workers.

The Reaction

Elaine, one of Richard’s coworkers, has noted the pattern of his behavior over time. The company has recently instituted an anti-violence program that included education for all employees on dealing with workplace bullies.

Because she is aware that documentation is important, she has been making notes of Richard’s increasingly hostile actions toward management in general, and his supervisor in particular. The incident on the loading dock is the last straw for her, and she requests a confidential meeting with the Violence Prevention Officer. At the meeting, she presents her notes which include several ‘accidents’ in which Richard was involved.

The VPO assures Elaine that her confidentiality will be preserved. Upon correlating her notes with other documentation, the VPO is convinced that Richard is engaging in bullying behavior that is increasingly dangerous to his coworkers.

The Process

In this case, the company’s violence prevention policy is very specific with regard to possible physical assaults. Because there is a suspicion that Richard deliberately threw the package with the intent of physically harming his supervisor, coupled with the history of escalating violent behaviors, Human Resources is called in and Richard is suspended pending an investigation of the incident.

The investigation is conducted according to company policy and within time guidelines. During the investigation, Richard is barred from company premises. No mention is made of Elaine.

The Resolution

The investigation encompasses the last several months, and turns up three other incidents similar to the one which triggered Elaine to make the report.

All three incidents resulted in relatively minor injuries, but each could have had far more serious outcomes. Based on their own policy, the company decided that these incidents crossed the line between bullying and criminal behavior. They chose to press charges against Richard for three counts of physical assault upon employees on company property and turned over their records to the police.

Richard was convicted on all three counts and is serving a prison sentence.