 |
Take a look at the highlights from that same survey:
- Seventy-two percent of the American public say that they are aware of bullying in the workplace.
- The number one culprit is (still) bosses.
- Of those polled, 72% actively discount, deny, rationalize, defend, or even encourage bullying.
- Approximately 65 million workers either witness or experience bullying every year in the workplace.
- Nearly everyone (93%) would support a bill aimed at changing bullying.
Defining Workplace Bullying
A company should clearly define bullying in its employee manual or where anyone can easily find it. BLR® defines bullying as any repeated, unreasonable behavior directed toward an employee, customer, or vendor that is intended to intimidate, that creates a risk to health and safety, or that results in threatened or actual harm. By including a section on bullying in the handbook, you have already taken an important step.
Want to stay current in the field of HR? Get the authoritative HR publication by BLR®, HR Decisions Magazine. Download Now
It is recommended that all of the following activities be expressly prohibited:
- Intimidating, threatening, or making hostile statements, actions, or gestures;
- Excluding someone from workplace activities, social isolation;
- Falsely accusing and punishing “errors” not actually made; blaming without justification;
- Verbal abuse, demeaning comments;
- Direct, conditional, or veiled threats;
- Treating an individual differently than the rest of the work group;
- Yelling, screaming, and other demeaning behavior;
- Giving an individual the majority of unpleasant tasks;
- Public humiliation; and
- Hostility such as glaring, clenched fists, or a threatening posture.
The employee handbook should also contain a form or description of what steps to take if you are being bullied, including whom to inform and what will happen when a complaint is filed.
A Closer Look
According to the survey discussed above, the current method of resolving bullying in the workplace is terrifying. Nearly three-quarters of the methods used to stop bullying involve actions taken towards the victim. And, the majority of that three-quarters (61%) involved the victim losing his or her job. Take a look at these numbers:
29% of bullying was stopped because the victim quit. 19% of bullying was stopped because the victim was forced out. 13% of bullying was stopped because the victim was fired, and 13% of bullying was stopped because the victim was transferred.
Want the latest in HR research plus advice from HR experts? Check out our bimonthly HR publication, HR Decisions Magazine. Download Now
Learn about the following crucial issues regarding retention and employee satisfaction:
- The high cost of undesirable turnover
- Recruiting and hiring for the long haul
- Management’s role in retention
- The value of strong mentoring
- Perks that employees truly value
- And much more!
When do you start thinking about retention? On day one. Start strategizing today with Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization.
Having witnessed bullying against a friend in an organizational culture of command and control I would advise the victim to contact a good labor law attorney for support. Do not rely on the internal policies that the organization will use to address it if they have a policy. This organization didn’t have one. This experience clearly showed the “rubber stamp” approval starting with the person doing the bullying all the way up through the chain of command that ignored their own policies that led to the bullying. No one in the organization wants to admit the mistake for hiring a bully so they support the bully under the guise of support for the betterment of the organization even when the bully lied.
I share Dick’s point of vu. A policy and program works only if leadership believe in it and demonstrate support. When implementing a wellness program which can address harassment and bullying, you absolutely need active participation from stakeholders even if that means it could mean someone in management. Policies and programs are important don’t get me wrong and it could be a start but until it is taken seriously, best to go outside for support. Sometimes it take a huge labor relations case to open some eyes!!
So true. We can name several firms where this is tolerated, even encouraged and it is disgusting. “Shunning” people, creating hostile environments, even mocking people is a standard part of RSM meetings. But the problem is also when company leaders are told, there is denial and protection of the RSM perpetrators because the ‘leader’ does not see it. How do you prove it when the company leadership is in denial or just does not want to deal with it? That would be the next article on this topic.
The mfg supervisor does what she wants. She is the wife of the owner and President. Unfortunately for me, I am her target for undermining my authority (QA Mgr), name calling, interrupting business discussions, yelling, lying about activities, and many other acts of bullying. I have been documenting these bursts for almost 3 months now as I pursue other employment, but jobs are hard to find. The company has a policy but the owner expressed to me after a screaming confrontation with her, “I’m in a difficult situation” All I could say was “yeah, me TOO!” I have lost sleep and lost 8 lbs of which I can be thankful for but until I land something else … I hang in there! They don’t tell you these things during the initial interview!!