Workplace Bullying

Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Sometimes, bullying can involve negative physical contact as well. Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people – although a single serious act could be considered harassment. Bullying or harassment has also been described as the assertion of power through aggression. Workplace bullying can take many forms. It encompasses personal attacks, such as yelling, threats and rumors, as well as manipulation tactics, such as isolation, sabotage, micromanagement and unrealistic deadlines. Harassment can include unwanted verbal or physical behaviour regarding sex, gender, religion, race, age or physical or mental disability. Firsthand accounts of bullying and harassment in the workplace detail the stress, strife and devastation that workplace harassment can cause. Bullying takes a toll on the bully target in the form of stress-related health complications ranging from hypertension and auto-immune disorders to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. A bullying environment stresses all employees, not just the target, and increases the rate of physical and emotional illnesses. Employers also pay a price for bullying in the form of lost productivity, increased absenteeism, rising health insurance costs and higher employee turnover. Brenda Lanigan, Program Administrator for The Hope Centre in Welland, presents a candid introduction to workplace bullying through this video presentation. She makes the viewer aware of the various forms of bullying that could be experienced in the workplace. Brenda shares information and guidance that can provide the distress or crisisline worker with resources to support their work on the telephone helplines. Questions for Further Consideration: 1. It is often hard to imagine the circumstances that can surround someone when they are at work – it is difficult to put yourself in the shoes of others that have a very different job or workplace environment than your own. Consider the variety of experiences that may comprise harassment or bullying. Remember that bullying is usually considered to be a pattern of behaviour, where one or more incidents will help show that bullying is taking place. Examples include: Spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true. Excluding or isolating someone socially. Intimidating a person. Undermining or deliberately impeding a person's work. Physically abusing or threatening abuse. Removing areas of responsibilities without cause. Constantly changing work guidelines. Establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail. Withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong information. Making jokes that are 'obviously offensive' by spoken word or e-mail. Intruding on a person's privacy by pestering, spying or stalking. Assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavourable to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure). Underwork - creating a feeling of uselessness. Yelling or using profanity. Criticizing a person persistently or constantly. Belittling a person's opinions. Unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment. Blocking applications for training, leave or promotion. Tampering with a person's personal belongings or work equipment. If one is not sure an action or statement could be considered bullying, you can use the "reasonable person" test. Would most people consider the action unacceptable? How can you recognize that bullying at work is affecting an individual? What might a call responder hear from someone on the helpline? People who are the targets of bullying may experience a range of effects. These reactions include: Shock. Anger. Feelings of frustration and/or helplessness. Increased sense of vulnerability. Loss of confidence. Physical symptoms such as: Inability to sleep. Loss of appetite. Psychosomatic symptoms such as: Stomach pains. Headaches. Panic or anxiety, especially about going to work. Family tension and stress. Inability to concentrate. Low morale and productivity. 3. Callers to a distress or crisis helpline may seek assistance on how to deal with the bullying or harassment they are feeling at work. Where can they turn for help? It is useful to know that there are guidelines outlined for employees by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). They suggest some do’s and don'ts as follows: If someone is feeling bullied, discriminated against, victimized or subjected to any form of harassment: DO: FIRMLY tell the person that his or her behaviour is not acceptable and ask them to stop. You can ask a supervisor or union member to be with you when you approach the person. KEEP a factual journal or diary of daily events. Record: The date, time and what happened in as much detail as possible. 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 letters, memos, e-mails, faxes, etc., received from the person.REPORT the harassment to the person identified in your workplace policy, your supervisor, or a delegated manager. If your concerns are minimized, proceed to the next level of management. DO NOT: RETALIATE. You may end up looking like the perpetrator and will most certainly cause confusion for those responsible for evaluating and responding to the situation. (Adapted from: Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide. CCOHS) Glossary: Workplace bullying/harassment: engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. It is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. It has also been described as the assertion of power through aggression. Harassment can be derived from a single serious incident. Workplace violence: an exercise of physical force or the attempt to exercise physical force by a person against a worker in a workplace that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker.