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Workplace bullying is a tough subject to tackle. Even worse is attempting to have a conversation with an employer when you are the victim. No employee wants to have this conversation with Human Resources, and no person in leadership wants to admit that a hostile work environment exists. Yet, the subject of workplace bullying has taken center stage in business, academia and even sports in recent years.
"The harm that workplace bullying does to organizations' morale, productivity and efficiency is well-documented," said law professor Kerri Stone of Florida International University. "It erodes employees' feelings of wellbeing and dignity in the workplace. Each day in this country, untold numbers of people falter and/or leave their employment because of corrosive workplace bullying. But until a famous football player [Jonathan Martin, then of the Miami Dolphins] took a stand and walked away from fame and success, no headlines screamed to us about this phenomenon." The numbers have, in fact, begun to be told since Stone's November 2013 statement.
As reported in last week's article on bullying, as much as one-third of all workers may be victims of workplace bullying, according to a survey conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute. The survey also showed that more than 85 percent of the time employers ignore bullying complaints.
Who is a target? Various surveys indicate that targets of bullies differ, though most agree that women are primary targets (of both male and female aggressors). Thirty-four percent of women surveyed said they were bullied at some point in their careers as compared to 22 percent of men, according to a study on office bullies in the private sector conducted by CareerBuilder.
"[Surprisingly] bullying impacts workers of all backgrounds regardless of race, education, income and level of authority within an organization," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. She said the study found that 27 percent of victims of bullying were in management, 21 percent in professional or technical positions and 26 percent were in entry-level, administrative and clerical positions.
Contrary to the stereotypical victim who is small, defenseless and seemingly without friends (in the schoolyard), targets of office bullies are sometimes the most respected and influential among his or her peers; someone who, perhaps has been with the company for many years and has been a great resource for coworkers and management; or someone new, young and brimming with change-the-world ideas and technical smarts. They are doers, independent thinkers and confident in many areas. A bully who seeks to have more control or influence sees this as threatening and aims to change the tide by launching a campaign of disrespect, gossip, public humiliation and other forms of psychological warfare.
Signs of bullying. Bullies follow a path of least resistance. They typically "test the waters" first and, if not met with a firm resistance, will gradually escalate bullying behaviors. A slight or nasty comment, a joke at your expense or other derisive acts that go unchecked set the stage (i.e. gives permission) for more abuse. A pattern of abusive behavior that causes harm to an individual may include gossip, false accusations about making mistakes, constant criticism, being dismissed or left out, being degraded in meetings, asked to perform unproductive tasks while neglecting priorities, etc. There are mental health consequences to bullying that should also be viewed as signs of bullying, including stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physical illness, such as high blood pressure, migraines, stomach ailments and heart disease.
Most bullying involves shame, belittling and ridicule aimed at causing victims (and bystanders) to lose confidence and the ability to challenge the bully. Tolerance of a bully's behavior is more likely to occur when he or she is a high-producing team member, one who contributes valuable expertise or financial gain for the organization, or someone with greater (or even the highest) rank. Often bosses are the bullies in small organizations, for example, where there is little accountability and no one to challenge that person's authority. He or she enjoys belittling and insulting workers – whether confident or easily intimidated. A boss like this will give direction for work or verbally state a new policy and later deny it, leaving those who acted upon it looking foolish and incompetent, which may also be a setup for firing.
Management must take action. Bullying is a matter of occupational health, safety and wellness. It is the responsibility of management to provide a safe workplace for every employee by creating a company culture where respect is a mandate and the preservation of personal dignity are protected by policies of zero-tolerance for bullying. Equally important is performing due diligence to protect the accused of false accusations by disgruntled employees.
Stay tuned for more on rights, responsibilities and remedies in next week's final article on workplace bullying.