Out of the Playground and into the Office...
Dealing with Workplace Bullies

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What happens to schoolyard bullies?  Many grow up, go to college, and join the workforce.  Their acid tongues and abusive behavior may be carefully hidden under a polished exterior and impressive background, but make no mistake, bullies are the equivalent of workplace poison - destroying morale, reducing production, and increasing absenteeism and turnover. 

“Bullying comes in many forms, but normally involves any repeated behavior meant to intimidate, humiliate, or degrade another individual.  A few examples of behavior that may be considered bullying are alienating or isolating an employee, harassing or intimidating an employee, or providing an employee with unreasonable or impossible work assignments, as well as any form of verbal abuse such as name calling,” explains Naomi Cossack, SHRM Information Center, Knowledge Member.

The effects can be devastating.  Margaret Heffernan, author of the Fast Company article, “The Wrong Stuff” finds that workplace bullying takes a serious personal toll on an employee’s well-being.  “Employees working in these conditions often find their physical health, mental health, and confidence so destroyed that they lack even the confidence to leave and instead find themselves trapped in a world of psychological violence,” notes Heffernan. 

Unfortunately, there is no current federal legislation specifically addressing the issue of workplace bullying.  In 2003, David Yamada, Professor, Suffolk University Law School, introduced California Assembly bill AB 1582 to directly address workplace bullying.  The bill, sponsored by the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute, outlined major legal implications of workplace bullying and introduced a proposal to create a law that would protect all workers from hostile work environments.  Unfortunately, the bill was ultimately opposed and withdrawn.  However, currently a number of state initiatives are in the works.

The United Kingdom is a step ahead in this regard, having already instituted a government-supported program aimed at preventing and eliminating workplace bullying.  “For too many people, discrimination begins at school. And for many, the discrimination, harassment, victimization, and violence that they experienced at school are something they have to deal with through their whole lives - particularly in the workplace. The best employers already know prejudice stops talented individuals [from] reaching their full potential and this is bad for business. Equality and economic success go hand in hand,” indicates UK Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt.

US employers should be aware that, although no specific laws regarding bully behavior exist at this time, they are still open to discrimination lawsuits.  This is especially likely if the victim is a member of a protected class who feels not enough was done to stop the alleged abuse.     

Gary Namie, coordinator of the nonprofit organization Campaign Against Workplace Bullying, stresses in the HR Magazine Article “Lurking in the Shadows” that certain traits are common to the existence of workplace bullying. “The typical recipe for workplace bullying includes cutthroat competition with a scarcity of talent and time, along with a fear-laced culture,” explains Namie.  “Complaining is equated with whining or weakness and may be taboo.  So there’s denial and no responsibility for the problem.  If a manager says ‘Work out the interpersonal conflict between yourselves because I don’t want to get involved,’ [then this] is a green light for the bully.  A lot of times, this is how it’s played out in a polite, well-dressed office.”  He also finds that targets of bullies are usually educated and cooperative people who are typically very nice.   

Who are these bullies and their targets? Christine Pearson, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, reveals through a “Workplace ‘Incivility’ Study” that workplace bullies are on average 41 years old with 8 years of work experience in the organization.  Bullies were more than twice as likely to be male, and more than 3 times as likely to have a higher work status as their target of abuse. In addition, women were equally likely to behave uncivilly toward their superiors as toward their subordinates, but less likely to be uncivil to their peers. Pearson also discovered through her research that as a result of bullying, 12 percent of victims changed jobs, 12 percent intentionally decreased the quality of their work, 22 percent decreased their work effort, 28 percent lost work time avoiding the bully, and 52 percent lost work time worrying about the person and the interaction.  

James Scarangi, Employee Relations Specialist for the Veterans Affairs Office of HR Management, recommends in “Lurking in the Shadows” certain steps that HR professionals can take to help put an end to workplace bullying.  They include the following:

1.     Educate supervisors on the necessary skills to manage people, such as conflict resolution training. Additionally, teach employees coping techniques, especially in regard to organizational change, a common cause of insecurity often resulting in bullying.

2.     Stay aware of interactions between the alleged bully and target and take steps to ensure that the target is not isolated. 

3.     Train bullies on the use of “soft skills,” including stress management and interpersonal communication.

4.     Implement an anti-harassment policy and encourage employees to document incidents that may fall within the policy’s guidelines. 

5.     Use conflict management services as an early intervention resource for disputes and other behaviors that can lead to bullying. 

6.     Obtain a commitment on the part of all members of the organization to interact openly, respectfully, and civilly.  Daniel Dana, president of the Dana Mediation Institute, recommends creating a “Communication Creed” outlining responsible behaviors for all staff to sign. 

Taking the necessary steps to eliminate workplace bullying is imperative to the overall well-being of your employees and your business.  Employers need to get involved, rather than ignore the problem.  Abusive behavior should not be tolerated in the playground, and it certainly should not be tolerated in your organization.