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| Bullying – Emotional Abuse at Work |
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| 4/20/2006 |
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ROBIN'S PERSPECTIVE: “Bullying”, or “Mobbing”, is repeated behavior from superiors, subordinates or peers that is intended to demean, humiliate or intimidate an individual. According to studies by The Campaign Against Workplace Bullying, 20% of the 139+ million employees in the U.S. workforce have experienced bullying.
“Adult bullies, like their schoolyard counterparts, tend to be insecure people with poor or non-existent social skills and little empathy. They turn this insecurity outwards, finding satisfaction in their ability to attack and diminish the capable people around them. A workplace bully subjects the target to unjustified criticism and trivial fault-finding. In addition, he or she humiliates the target, especially in front of others, and ignores, overrules, isolates and excludes the target. If the bully is the target's superior, he or she may do the following: set the target up for failure by setting unrealistic goals or deadlines, or denying necessary information and resources; either overload the target with work or take all work away (sometimes replacing proper work with demeaning jobs); or increase the victim’s responsibility while removing authority. Regardless of specific tactics, the intimidation is driven by the bully's need to control others.” Profile of a Bully, Bullying in the Workplace (Safety Canada, www.safety-council.org, September 2000).
The typical workplace “Bully” is a manager or supervisor in his or her mid-forties. Whereas the Bully is just as likely to be female as male, the typical victims (as many as 77% of those reporting abuse) are women. Further aggravating the failure of human resources and management to heed the targeted person’s requests for help is the fact that 57% of co-workers tend to react negatively towards the victim – and to support the Bully! Victims left their jobs in 82% of the cases where bullying was reported.
The effects of bullying are far-reaching. Although abuse of this kind occurs four times more often than illegal discrimination, it is grossly unreported -- workers are often too afraid or embarrassed to report the incidents. Victims tend to suffer from depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, post -traumatic stress syndrome and loss of productivity. At the same time, their employers experience a decrease in staff morale, profits, quality and reputation, and an increase in employee turnover, litigation and claims for stress-related disability and workers compensation.
What can you do if you are a victim of bullying? The first step is to face the situation head-on and realize that what is happening to you is not your fault – no one deserves to be bullied. The next steps are to take matters into your own hands and to do what you can to see that the abuse ends:
1. Keep a factual journal or diary of daily events - document what happens to you (what is said or done), where and when (date and time) it occurs, and identify any witnesses. (Do not use the company computer to record your account as it is not secure and can be manipulated). Also, keep copies of any letters, memos, e-mails, faxes, etc., received from the person. 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;
2. Develop an effective strategy to utilize your company’s internal grievance system, anti-violence policy, code of conduct, or ethics hotline. You have the right to confront the bully – to demand that the bullying behavior is not acceptable and must stop – but it is best to ask another supervisor or human resources professional to be with you when you approach the person;
3. Get support from a therapist, physician, coach, or supportive relatives and friends outside of the office;
4. Seek legal counsel to see if the mental or verbal harassment is actionable under the law, even if it may not constitute illegal discrimination under Title VII; and
5. DO NOT RETALIATE against the Bully. You may end up looking like the “bully” and can only cause confusion for those who are responsible for evaluating and responding to the situation.
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