by Norbert “Bert” Alicea
Yesterday’s Advisor presented tips from Norbert “Bert” Alicea, MA, CEAP, on identifying and understanding the impact of bullying in the workplace. Today, Alicea provides tips for employers on how to address this costly issue.
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Alicea is vice president of EAP+Work/Life Services for Health Advocate and is also a licensed psychologist and premier trainer with over 25 years of experience in the employee assistance program (EAP) field. He specializes in executive coaching and management consultations in assisting with difficult workplace situations and also conducts corporate training locally and on a national level. For more information about Health Advocate and the EAP+Work/Life program, visit www.HealthAdvocate.com.
The best way to stop bullying in the workplace is to prevent it from happening in the first place. While this is not always possible, there are strategies employers can implement to create a positive workplace culture that inhibits negative behaviors like bullying.
Creating a formal policy regarding workplace bullying establishes a clear process for addressing any issues that may arise and also demonstrates the organization’s commitment to a safe and supportive work environment.
This policy should include, at a minimum, a procedure for reporting and documenting incidents, including how to file a complaint and the appropriate point of contact. During training, employees should review the reporting procedures involved, should an incident of bullying take place. This will help ensure employers’ HR departments have the information needed to efficiently investigate and resolve issues.
In order to successfully implement a formal policy, training is a key component in a bullying prevention plan. This can cover a wide range of related topics, including interpersonal skills, online etiquette (addressing cyberbullying), and harassment awareness, among others. Offering this training provides an opportunity to raise awareness of this important issue and open the lines of communication between employees and management, a key step toward halting workplace bullying.
There are many benefits to introducing a training initiative geared toward preventing and addressing bullying. Not only do managers and employees understand what to look for and how to take action, but providing antibullying training to all employees can also offer some legal protection for organizations if an employee files a lawsuit due to the bullying.
There are many resources available to help organizations establish policies and take action to address workplace bullying, including an EAP. For organizations that work with an EAP, experts are often available to offer insights on company policies, provide training to all employees, and work with individuals who may be experiencing challenges that could lead to behaviors like bullying.
Awareness and understanding are critical to effectively addressing and preventing bullying in the workplace. By taking steps to offer training and plan ahead, it is possible for employers to protect their employees from bullying and other forms of harassment and preserve a positive workplace culture.
But what about the victims of bullying? I would suspect a large number of bullying activities begin with management. What do you do when management is aware of a close family member conducting bullying tactics and does nothing? Unless you can find alternate employment a victim must hang in there until an opportunity presents itself. This may take some time. Documenting every incident shows long term harassment and abuse which should lead to liability to the company. After 40 yrs in the aerospace industry, it is sad to see this type of harm being conducted every day. Protection goes both ways, beginning with the employee!
When the boss let’s his wife conduct bullying tactics that impact the Quality Manager from performing his job, you know there is a serious personal issue that cannot be remedied without heavy damage to all concerned. After 40 yrs as a quality professional I never thought it would happen to me! So now I collect incident data on a daily basis. While aggressively pursuing alternate employment, I document every altercation. Once I find the out, I talk to a local attorney and submit my suit. In the meantime after 2 months of harassment, I long for freedom from this abuse. Paying college bills for two and trying to live on Long Island does not allow me to quit and rest my mind and soul. Too bad!!