You’ve probably encountered one sometime or another. The supervisor who resorts to name-calling when dealing with subordinates. The worker who’s quick to blame others for mistakes. The manager who penalizes employees by excluding them from important meetings, removing them from routing lists or saddling them with menial work assignments. Although these workplace bullies may not always be breaking the law, they can create significant costs for employers in the form of harassment claims and suits, reduced productivity and high turn-over. What’s more, two new surveys show that the problem may be growing, with some experts calling workplace bullying an epidemic. And as Web sites and advocacy groups spring up to address the problem, you’re likely to start hearing more complaints from employees.
Cause For Concern
A survey of more than 1,000 employees found that over 20% felt they had been “significantly mistreated” by someone at work in the last 12 months. Half of the respondents said they had been harassed by their bosses, and 35% blamed co-workers. In another survey of human resource professionals, 40% said the problem of workplace hostility was getting worse.
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Do You Have A Bully Problem?
Workplace bullying has been defined as the “deliberate, repeated and hurtful mistreatment” of a co-worker or subordinate, with the purpose of undermining that person’s sense of competence. It tends to involve psychological, rather than physical, aggression. Examples of bullying include the “silent treatment,” yelling, withholding needed resources, accusations of wrongdoing, excessive criticism or assigning unpleasant tasks as punishment.
A Lawsuit Waiting To Happen
Unlike sexual or racial harassment, bullying creates a hostile work environment that is not targeted at an employee’s protected status. And because it’s technically not illegal, workplace bullying hasn’t received as much attention as other forms of harassment. However, Jeffrey D. Wohl, a partner with the San Francisco office of the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, cautions that any type of workplace harassment increases the likelihood that someone will file a lawsuit and claim the behavior was in fact based on race, sex, age or another protected classification.
Profile Of A Bully
Frequently, bullies are star performers, and according to Gary Namie, a social psychologist and national coordinator for the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying, they often behave appropriately around their own superiors. This, combined with the fact that the targets of the abuse are sometimes reluctant to complain, means you may not learn about the aggressive behavior until you start seeing valued workers quit in frustration.
So how can you tell if you have a bully on your hands? Namie told CEA that the telltale signs are an ultracompetitive approach to work, a tendency to hold others accountable for one’s own mistakes, and an inability to work well as part of a team.
Practical Management Approaches
While it can be hard to determine exactly when a tough boss or strong-willed employee crosses the line and becomes a bully, there are some specific things you can do:
- Take complaints seriously. Unlike sexual harassment or discrimination complaints, many employers and supervisors don’t give charges of workplace bullying the attention they may deserve, often dismissing the allegations as employee griping. And if a top performer is involved, there may be even more reluctance to take strong action. Yet it’s important to look into all complaints to make sure there isn’t a persistent underlying problem that needs to be resolved.
- Respond appropriately. Although there’s some controversy about the effectiveness of various strategies, suggestions include calling in an outside conflict management consultant; referring the aggressor to your employee assistance program; requiring group sensitivity training; and imposing stiff warnings and discipline. But always use caution and have good documentation before taking action against someone you think is a workplace bully, because an aggressive employee may be more likely to file a lawsuit against you.
- Review policies. Finally, consider broadening the terms of your written anti-harassment policy so that it covers all types of workplace harassment, even when illegal discrimination is not specifically involved.