Bullying in the WorkplaceThink bullying happens only on the

playground?Dottie Mersinger

"bosses and toddlers with too much power, act alike.“

~ Lynn Taylor

Common Bullying Tactics

– Falsely accusing someone of “errors” not actually made.

– Staring, glaring, being nonverbally intimidating and clearly showing hostility.

– Using the “silent treatment” to “ice out” and separate from others.

– Yelling, screaming, and throwing tantrums in front of others to humiliate a person.

Common Bullying Tactics

– Stealing credit for work done by others.– Abusing the evaluation process by lying

about the person’s performance.– Rebelling for failing to follow arbitrary

commands.– Using confidential information about a

person to humiliate privately or publicly.

Heard this?

The term for being made to feel stupid is “PIMP,” which stands for put in my place.  – Often heard in medical education

Not Bullying?

Actions not usually considered workplace bullying:  • A manager who shouts at or criticizes all of his or

her employees. • A co-worker who is critical of everything, always

takes credit for successes and passes blame for mistakes, and/or frequently makes hurtful comments or jokes about others.

• Negative comments or actions that are based on a person's gender, ethnicity, religion, or other legally protected status. 

Who Are the Bullies?

• Co-worker or boss• Could be a type “A” personality

• Driven, competitive, easily frustrated, and verbally abusive

• Two-faced in nature• Crave power and control• Are Manipulators

• Use charm and deceit

Effects of Bullying

• Workplace bullying is a health hazard• Workplace bullying is behavior, often

repeated, by one or more employees, that humiliates, victimizes, undermines or threatens another employee or employees, and thereby creates a work related risk to personal health or safety.

Effects of Bullying

Workplace bullying can have serious effects, for instance:  • Stress • Absenteeism and low

productivity • Low self-esteem• Anxiety/Panic Attacks• Depression• Digestive upsets • High blood pressure • Insomnia • Relationship trouble Loss of

sleep• Post traumatic stress disorder  • Suicide.

• Is it bullying?

Identify Bullying

• Beti and the Resident

Bad for Education Administration

– High turnover rate in coordinators and GME personnel

– Low productivity – Lost innovation– Difficulty hiring quality employees and

matching the best residents and fellows as word spreads that the program/institution has a malignant environment.

What can you do?

• Document incidents – keep a journal with details, dates and

names

• Report incidents to HR or management

• Stand-up to the bully but don’t do it alone

• If unsuccessful with tactics find another job

• Resort to legal options

Here are five ways your workplace bully might be doing something illegal:

• Targeting the weak - Discrimination• Targeting the different - Discrimination • Sudden change in circumstances –

Discrimination/ retaliation• Stalking/ Cyberstalking• Assault/battery

Bullying goes criminal

Survey

• Are you constantly being criticized?• Being treated differently than your

colleagues?• Get the eye rolls, stares and

disrespected in meetings?• Get left of the invitation list more

than once when everyone else in the department was invited?

HWB

• 26 States since 2003 have introduced the Healthy Workplace Bill -- No laws have yet been enacted

• 15 states with 21 bills active