Bullying In The Workplace

The presence of bullies and jerks in the workplace is not much of a concern for most companies. However, having too many of such people around andnotactively avoiding aculture that fosters bullies, is not good practice. In fact it can have quite an impact on company performance and the bottom-line. This is because bullyingcan (among other things) have aneffect on morale, health, productivity, idea generation andemployee turnover.

Here are some findings from a study by the Workplace Bullying Institute in America:

37%of workers have been bullied
Most bullies are bosses (72%)
Most Targets (57%) are women
62% of employers ignore the problem
45% of Targets suffer stress-related health problems (debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression)
40% of bullied individuals never tell their employers

For organisations, the message is clear - seek out workplace bullies and correct their behaviour or fire them. Don't avoid taking action, especially if you feel that the employee is a good performer. The overallcontribution he/she has could in fact be negative, when you take into account the effects of bullying.

For individuals, given that majority of bullying is done by bosses, thefirst and most important step is to realise that you are being bullied. Many people either ignore the problem or think that they just have a bad boss and thats how bosses are.According to Dr. Gary Nami, Founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute, these are some signs to look out for:

You attempt the obviously impossible task of doing a new job without training or time to learn new skills but that work is never good enough for the boss
Surprise meetings are called by your boss with no results other than further humiliation
Everything your tormenter does to you is arbitrary and capricious, working a personal agenda that undermines the employer's legitimate business interests
Others at work have been told to stop working, talking or socializing with you
You constantly feel agitated and anxious, experiencing a sense of doom, waiting for bad things to happen
No matter what you do, you are never left alone to do your job without interference
People feel justified screaming or yelling at you in front of others, but you are punished if you scream back
HR tells you that your harassment isn't illegal, that you have to "work it out between yourselves"
You finally, firmly confront your tormentor to stop the abusive conduct, you are accused of harassment
You are shocked when accused of incompetence despite a history of objective excellence, typically by someone who cannot do your job
Everyone - co-workers, senior bosses, HR - agrees (in person and orally) that your tormentor is a jerk, but there is nothing they will do about it (and deny saying what they said later when asked to support you)
Your request to transfer to an open position under another boss is mysteriously denied