Bullying in the Workplace

Working together towards

Workplace Safety

Dr. Janet Parker, B.S., M.S., D.V.M.

"There's only one way of dealing with stress - that's

to identify the cause and then work to reduce or

eliminate that cause. I believe bullying is the

main, but least recognized, cause of stress in the

workplace today.“

Tim Field, bullyonline

Employers Embrace Change

• New awareness of the issues, scale, complexity

and impact

• New resources available

• Employers willing to plan and act

• New skills necessary to carry the action through

effectively

• Health and Safety Issues - Good practice is

good civil sense

Goal

• To encourage employee representatives and employers

to build cultures in which respect for individuals is

regarded as an essential part of the conduct of all

those who work in the organization.

• To increase awareness and knowledge of bullying in

the workplace, and encourage the development of

employment practices that enhance worker safety and

prevent bullying in the workplace.

Structure

• Definitions of bullying

• Employers Obligation

• Typology of violence – Physical & Psychological

• Forms of bullying

• Statistics & Direct Costs

• The impact on individuals and organizations

• Barriers to Prevention & What can we do?

• The law

• Summary

Definition: Workplace Bullying

• Repeated, Persistent

• Unreasonable, Inappropriate

• Directed at a target, often an individual

• Verbal or Physical

• About power – positional, resources, physical

• Offensive, Abusive, Intimidating, Malicious, Insulting

• Target‟s loss of self confidence, Threatened, Upset,

Humiliated, Vulnerable

Definition : Workplace Bullying

• Bullying is:

• Psychological Violence

• Persistent , unwelcome, intrusive behavior of one or

more individuals whose actions prevent others from

fulfilling their duties

• Hierarchical and can be traced to the top or near the

top

• Denial is the most common strategy employed by

toxic managements

Definition

Is best understood through the bully's behaviours - acts of commission (hostile verbal, nonverbal communication and interfering actions) and omission (the withholding of resources - time, information, training, support, equipment - that guarantee failure) - which are all driven by the bully's need to control the Target.

The US and Canadian Workplace Bullying and Trauma Unit

Not Good Management

Bullying is not ‘tough’ management; it is

illegitimate behaviour, unrelated to

accomplishing productive work, so outrageous

as to be the antitheses of what a good

employer values and encourages.

The US and Canadian Workplace Bullying and Trauma Unit

Employers Obligation

• Every employee has a right to a work in an

environment free from workplace violence and

bullying.

• Employers must take reasonable action to

prevent violence and bullying and, whenever

they become aware of such behavior, put a

stop to it.

7 Key Elements of a Good Employer

1 Leadership, Accountability and Culture

2 Recruitment, Selection and Induction

3 Employee Development, Promotion and Exit

4 Flexibility and Work Design

5 Renumeration, Recognition and

Conditions

6 Harassment and Bullying Prevention

7 Safe and Healthy Environment

Typology of physical violence

• I: Criminal intent 85% of all homicides

• II: Customer/client 3% of all homicides

• III: Worker-on-worker - Worker-on-worker

fatalities account for approximately 7% of all

workplace homicides.

• IV: Personal relationship - 5% of all workplace

homicides

US Bureau of Justice Statistics 2001

Tactics of the Bully

• Constant humiliation or ridicule, belittling their efforts, often

in front of others.

• Excessive supervision, monitoring everything , excessively

critical about minor things.

• Constantly override the person‟s authority.

• Spread malicious rumours, ostracise and marginalise their

target.

• Remove whole areas of responsibility from the person,

reducing their job to tasks well below their skills and

capabilities.

• Set impossible objectives and deadlines

• Use terror tactics, open aggression, threats, shouting,

physical violence.

Destructive Conflict and Bullying at Work – UMIST

research in 2000, Helge Hoel & Cary Cooper

• 1 in 10 workers been bullied in the last 6 months

• Varies between sectors, worst were

• Post and telecommunications – 16%

• Prison service – 16%

• Dance profession – 14%

• 12% of women and 10% of men reported as having been bullied

• 75% of bullies are managers

• However, bullying is equally likely to affect a manager as a worker

• 70% of those bullied are done so as part of a group

• For 2 out of 3 the bullying continues for more than a year

• For 2 out of 5 it goes on for more than 2 years

Tim Field’s Study in UK

• 12-50% of the workforce experience bullying

• 20% of cases from the education sector,

• 12% are from healthcare

• 10% are from social services

• 6% from the voluntary / charity / not-for-profit

sector.

Tim Field 1953-2006 UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line,

with over 10,000 cases internationally & Author of Bully In Sight

Direct Costs

• US $7-17 billion

– even $44 billion if stress related illness included

• 20% of employers still do not regard

stress as a health and safety issue,

instead preferring to see it as

malingering.

Personally Experienced Employer

Abuse – USA

• The Bullied Target is usually the above average

worker and the Bully is usually someone who

has achieved a supervisory level where his/her

own lack of technical abilities and knowledge

can be masked by bullying behavior

• Younger workers are less likely to be bullied

than older workers.

USA Statistics • 44% of American workers have worked for a

supervisor or employer who they consider

abusive.

• Compared to workers with a high school

education or less (34%), those with some

college or a college degree (47%) are more

likely to have been a victim of abuse by

a supervisor or employer.

Chris Burt, ELA Abusive Boss Charts

Effects of bullying on the individual

• Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem

• 1 third to half of work related stress may be caused by

bullying at work (Cary Cooper)

• Physical effects – headaches, sweating/shaking, feeling or

being sick, inability to sleep, skin problems

• Psychological effects – anxiety, panic attacks, depression,

tearfulness, poor concentration, feeling of dread

• Behavioural effects – becoming irritable, withdrawn,

aggressive, increased consumption of tobacco/alcohol etc

• Those who witness bullying also suffer from increased stress

Question?

What prevents targets of workplace

bullying coming forward and what can be

done and by whom to change this?

Effects on the organization

• People working in a climate of fear and resentment do not

give their best

• Increased sick days and absence

• Increased staff turnover

• Loss of moral and decrease in performance

• Loss of production,

• Increased recruitment, retention and re-training costs

• Public exposure and threat to public image

• Civil Liability and Litigation

Tim Field‟s

Estimates of UK‟s costs

• Workers who are bullied are absent for an extra 7 sickness

days per year

• 19 million days are lost to bullying annually in the UK at a

cost of £1.8 billion a year

• 25% of bullied leave their job

• Over 20% of witnesses leave their job

• Employee replacement costs in the UK total over £400

million a year

Why does it happen?“Bullies can get away with it”

• Some employers reluctant to admit it might be a problem in their organization

• Bullied person is often unable to recognise and put a name to the treatment they are receiving

• “It‟s just a personality clash”

• Individual incidents often seem trivial and people are reluctant to raise them for fear of looking silly

• People are scared they will not be believed, disciplined and even sacked

• Aggressive management is part of the organizational culture

• No procedures for resolving problems

Barriers to Prevention

• Denial, Lack of Teamwork

• Lack of Incentives or Disincentives

• Lack of Worker Empowerment

• Lack of Awareness & Policy

• Lack of Information/Lack of Reporting

• Lack of Communication/Training

• Lack of Resources

Question?

Are you doing all you can to promote a

safe, healthy and fair work environment

for employees?

Have you taken all reasonable steps to

create a working environment that

discourages bullying?

What can targets do about it?

• Log all incidents of bullying.

• Immediately say it’s not ok – once behaviour is established

it’s a lot more difficult

• If you cannot confront the bully, try writing a memo/email to

make it clear why you object to their behaviour.

• Keep copies of all annual appraisals and

letters/memos/emails relating to your ability to do the job.

• Find out if your employer has a policy on harassment or

unacceptable behaviour, which may cover bullying.

• Targets should have an independent witness with them at

all meetings, official or unofficial.

What can organizations do?

• Make bullying a dismissal offence

• Have a clear policy and procedure (formal and informal) to

deal with cases

• Protect everyone (complainant and accused)

• Be seen to be fair – often the target gets moved

• Be consistent

• Train employees to recognise, deflate, deflect and avoid the

conflict escalating

• Have a policy - Communicate it. Use it. Monitor it. Review it

DTI/ Amicus study in UK

The Funders

• Dept of Trade and Industry (DTI)

• Amicus (UK largest private sector Union)

The Task – Research and Training to tackle bullying and harassment at work

Mandy Telford - Amicus

Findings:

Incidence

• No sig diff on age, gender, hierarchical grade

• Sector difference slight (but expectations?)

• Few people singled out (i.e. several bullied)

• In UK alleged bullies often = boss

Effect

• 25% targets and 20% witnesses leave job

• ++ Stress

• Anxiety & depression (scared)

Mandy Telford, Amicus

Interventions:

The Event Hierarchy: Initial ideas

Legal redress

Formal Complaints

Informal Complaints

Informal Enquiries

Poor Behaviour

Failure zone

Prevention

Zone

Intervention

Zone

Mandy Telford, Amicus

Stage progression - Inputs

INPUTS OBLIVIOUS FRAGMENTED NEAR STRATEGIC

Mindset on

bullying and

harassment

Accepted

within culture

thus no

problem

Concern, but

overall passive

approach

Active concern

but accept

weaknesses in

own system

Strategic with

monitoring/

change.

Proactive.

Whose

problem?

No Problem Individuals Individuals Organization

Tolerance Complete –

part of job

High, ‘people

can complain’

Exceptions

allowed (low)

Zero tolerance, no

exceptions

Management

selection &

training

Task orient.

No real

training.

Task orient.

Training unlikely.

Task + people

orient some

training,

mentoring

High people +

task. Mentoring

for managers.

Managers

promoted on

Achievement

of task

Achievement of

task

People Mgt

included but not

too important.

Tasks achieved

through people.

Mandy Telford, Amicus

Stage progression – Outputs OUTPUTS OBLIVIOUS FRAGMENTED NEAR STRATEGIC

Incidence High, maybe

measured

High, maybe

measured

Medium Low

ROI None None ↓sickness exit.

OK reputation

Costs avoided

+ retention,

+ reputation

Legal Few major

cases, org often

found at fault.

Cases

scattered, org

often found at

fault.

Cases

scattered; org

sometimes

found at fault.

Few cases; org

rarely found at

fault.

Employee exit High High Reducing Low

Employee LT

sickness

High High Reducing Low

Early

retirements

High High Reducing Low

Mandy Telford, Amicus

Response Model – Mandy Telford, Amicus

Ind

ivid

ual su

pp

ort

Question?

To what extent do you think the following quote is correct?

„When workplace bullying is happening in an organization, it is because leadership and management of the organisation is allowing it to happen‟

Andrea Needham, Workplace Bullying, the Costly Business Secret

Risk managementPolicy - that states clearly intolerance of workplace

bullying

Code of conduct - that defines acceptable and unacceptable behaviours (House Rules)

Management philosophy and practice - that aligns with code of conduct

Safe, fair and speedy procedure - to deal with complaints

Effective disciplinary procedure – for those found to be bullies

Awareness program - that ensures knowledge of policy and how to address bullying if targeted

Monitoring the workplace

The Law• Anti-bullying legislation introduced in 13 States.

• Bullying is indeed a health and safety issue.

• Employers have a clear legal duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their workers.

• There are internationally accepted and published guidance for employers on preventing stress at work which makes it clear that bullying can be a cause of stress and that preventative measures must include action to eliminate bullying where it exists.

The Law

• There is no employment law that deals specifically with bullying at work. However, the law covers discrimination and harassment based on the following -

• sex

• race, colour, nationality, ethnic/national origin

• sexual orientation

• gender reassignment

• religion or belief

• disability

• union membership

• age

THE ANTI-BULLYING

HEALTHY WORKPLACE BILL

NEW JERSEY Active CALFORNIA

NEW YORK Active OREGON

VERMONT Active OKLAHOMA

WASHINGTON Active CALIFORNIA

CONNECTICUT MASSACHUSETTS

HAWAII MISSOURI

KANSAS - House Bill HB 2990 (complete HWB)

Dr. Gary Namie, Workplace Bullying Institute

Question?

Does your organization currently have a

policy in place that deals with bullying?

Should the workplace bullying and

harassment policy be two separate

policies?

Murphy v IRS

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

Maritsa Murphy brought this suit to recover income

taxes she paid on the compensatory damages for

emotional distress and loss of reputation she was

awarded in an administrative action she brought

against her former employer.

Anti-Bullying LawQuebec (Canada)

• Since June 1, 2004, the anti-bullying law has

been enforced by the Labour Standards Law in

Quebec (Canada).

• This is the first North American Law against this

form of workplace violence.

• Other countries have similar laws:

• Belgium, France, Sweden

Experience in Canada

• Number of complaints (January 31, 2006)

– 4000 complaints with 150 sent to the Canadian

Labour Relations Board

• Commission of Professional Injuries

– About 30 to 40% of the decisions are favorable

• Lise Forget-Changnon v. Marché Bel-Air

(Refusal of work dangerous to mental health)

Summary• Bullying is pervasive widespread problem

• Is costly on a personal and organizational level

• Clear policies and procedures are a necessity

• Policies must be put into action

• Working in partnership, solutions can be found

• Training all supervisory staff in proper methods of

supervision

• Screening prospective workers for being a target of

bullying may prevent secondary trauma caused by the

employment search

• Hiring managers and supervisors who have not been a

workplace bully in their last employment

The Advisory, Conciliation and

Arbitration Service (ACAS)

• Free online learning course to help employers

understand and prevent bullying in the

workplace.

• How to recognize and deal with bullying, as well

as harassment, provides advice on developing

clear and accessible policies.

http://www.acas.org.uk/

Bullying Checklist

A Bullying Checklist for screening job applicants

to ascertain if they have been victims of Bullying

in the Workplace is available by contacting

MedicalWhistleblower@gmail.com

Materials to assist investigation and to profile the

bully are also available

• The Workplace Bullying Institute (USA) is a

Drs. Gary and Ruth Namie.

http://www.bullyinginstitute.org/

• Andy Ellis, an employee advocate

http://www.workbullying.co.uk/ with a Target

Support Community and a Bullying Discussion

group.

• Noa Davenport, one of the authors of "Mobbing

- Emotional Abuse in the American Workplace

has a site at: http://www.mobbing-usa.com/ and

http://www.dnztraininginternational.com/

• Whistleblowers Australia have a web-site at

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/

• Violence at the workplace is on the increase. A

site worthwhile visiting is that of Larry J Chavez,

http://www.workplace-violence.com/ and also

http://members.aol.com/HRtrainer/guide-for-

media.html

• Danger: Toxic Company, Alan M Webber, Fast

Company online magazine

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/19/toxic.html

• An interesting site on work, poverty and the

environment. http://www.theworkingcentre.org/

• http://www.caitrin.mtx.net/ - Bullies Down Under,

Australia.

• "Workplace Violence Today

• http://www.workplaceviolence911.com/

• Prof. Ken Westhues of the Waterloo University:

• http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~kwesthue/mobbing.htm

• "Stop The Abuse of Power!!!":

http://F.webring.com/hub?ring=stop_abuse

• The Canadian website on

mobbing: http://mobbing.ca/

• Evelyn Field’s site in

Australia: http://www.bullying.com.au/

• Matt Reider’s new site:

• http://www.workplace-violence.info/

• http://www.kickbully.com/ is a practical guide to

fighting back against workplace bullying