hidden harrassment
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BullyingIn the WorkplacePatricia Pitsel, Ph.D.Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Hidden Harassment
Definition
Bullying in the workplace is repeated inappropriate behaviour conduced by one or more persons against another or others at the place or work and/or in the course of employment and which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work.
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Repetitive behaviours
Hostile and unwanted
Affect the person’s dignity or psychological integrity
Result in a harmful work environment
KEYS
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
What bullying is NOT• Reasonable actions by an
employer to transfer, demote, discipline, counsel, retrench or dismiss an employee
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
• A decision, based on reasonable grounds, not to award or provide a promotion, transfer, or benefit in connection with an employee’s employment
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
• Occasional differences of opinion, and non-aggressive conflicts and problems in working relations
• Workplace counseling, managing under- performance and other action in accordance with policy and procedures.
Can beDirect or Indirect
Manager down, staff up, peer to peer
Harmful intention or merely a pervasive style
DirectPhysical Assault
(including hazing, or initiation rites)
Verbal Assault
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Refusing reasonable requests when granted to others
Sabotage, unwarranted or undeserved punishment
Tampering with personal items, theft or destruction of property
IndirectConstant criticism with
proof of achievement being ignored or dismissed
Being ignored, isolated, left out of office activities
Given impossible deadlines, tasks, unmanageable workload
IntimidationSpying, stalking, calls at home
evenings or weekendsAssigning unpleasant tasks,
meaningless tasks outside of job description
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Deliberately withholding required information
Spreading gossip, innuendo, untrue or malicious accusations
• Denying training opportunities given to others
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Scope and Impact• Is Bullying a problem?
• Who does it impact?
• What is the impact?
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
One survey showed• 28% lost work time avoiding the instigator.• 53% lost work time worrying about the
incident or future interactions.• 37% believed that their commitment to the
organization declined.• 22% decreased their effort at work.
10% decreased the amount of time that they spent at work.
46% contemplated changing jobs to avoid the instigator.
12% actually changed jobs to avoid the instigator
Where does bullying happen?Everywhere and anywhere
especially when there is :
Major organizational change
The presence of minority employees
• A history of condoned bullying practices
• Poor interpersonal relationships
• High demand for results from Senior Management
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
• A very hierarchical management structure
• High pressure jobs where staff can be seen as fairly expendable
• In very small businesses which fall beneath the radar of union involvement and have no policies on bullying.
ScopeAs many as 10% of suicides
may be related to workplace traumatization (Harvey, 2002).
81% of bullies are in supervisory roles
58% of bullies are female (Namie, 2003)
84% of bullied employees are female
21% of all workers have been targeted by bullies(Brunner & Costello, 2003; Namie, 2003)
Targets endure bullying for almost two years before filing a complaint
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
40% of Western workers reported experiencing at least 1 of 45 specific acts indicative of psychological harassment or bullying on a weekly basis for at least 6 months.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
• An additional 10% of the sample reported experiencing 5 or more such acts on a weekly basis for at least 6 months (Lee & Brotheridge, 2005).
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Only 13% of bullies are ever punished or terminated
71% of bullies outrank their targets
The Workplace Bullying Institute states that around "37% of U.S. workers reported being bullied on the job, and 49% say they have witnessed a bully in action.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Results?• Some will cut back on work
• Some will contemplate leaving the job. Only 10% do
• Take it out on innocent family or pets
• Others will steal from the job, sabotage work, damage equipment, damage personal property of the bully or
• Contemplate a violent act and carry it out
Impact on TargetPsychological• Abused spouse syndrome• PTSD• Memory Loss• Panic attacks
Physical• Increased stress• Heart disease• Insomnia and sleep
disruption• Fatigue
Emotional• Loss of concentration• Memory problems• Anger to rage to murder or
suicide• Severe anxiety, shame, fear• Irritability
Social• Family conflict• Withdrawal from friends and
family• Isolation from colleagues at
work
High Turn Over
Productivity
Lawsuits
Reputation
Organizational Impact
BYSTANDER IMPACT
Fear they may be
next
May Contribute to
disaster
Lowered productivity
Copy
cat
Impact on BullyReputation
No cooperation
Shunned by colleagues
Corporate
Liability
Seen as poor manager
For the Target
For the Bystander(s)
For the Organization
For the Union
Strategies and Responsibilities
Strategies For TargetsRecognize that you are being
bullied .You may be a Target, but you
are not a Victim unless you choose to be.
Nobody is going to save you. Targets have a responsibility to alert Management about bullying behaviour.
Don’t take bullying personally.
Always focus on the unacceptable behaviour rather than on the bully him/herself.
Bullying actions follow a pattern. Identify patterns and how often these patterns reoccur.
Everything must be documented (not on your work computer)
Establish boundaries. Be clear about your boundaries by saying something like, “stop talking to me like that”, or “don’t call me names”. Be clear to the bully that the behaviour is unacceptable.
If you are asked to cross a boundary that violates your personal space, you will need to assess whether or not this is a healthy place for you to work.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Verbal StrategiesAsk the bully to stop the
specific unacceptable behaviour.
a. “Stop yelling”.b. “Stop using profanity
when you are talking to me”
c. “Take your hand away from my face”
Use the “Do Want-Don’t Want” format. “I do want to get the job done. I don’t want to be yelled at.”
“I do want to get the job done right. I don’t want to put in 75 hours a week in order to get it done.”
“I do want to meet project deadlines. I don’t want to have to keep changing priorities”.
Identify a possible positive intent but set personal boundaries. E.g.“I know you believe it is important to produce high quality work. Criticizing my work in front of the rest of the team members is unacceptable. In future, if you have concerns about my work I want you to talk to me first, privately. I will be willing to make any changes you think necessary.”
“I know you are upset about our missing the deadline. I want to make sure as well that this does not happen in the future. However, yelling at me in the hallway because you are upset is inappropriate. I would rather take time to see how this we can meet all future deadlines.”
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
“I know that you believe that the comment you just made is harmless teasing, and just helps everyone in the group to bond. I find the term X offensive and I do not want to be referred to as X “
“I know that you think saying X is just funny. I don’t. Don’t refer to me like that again.”
Agree with the bully’s major point (if there is any validity in it at all) E.g.:
“You’re absolutely right. I should have checked this with you first. Next time I’ll make sure you know first before I make a decision.”
• “I understand that you are upset about the number of errors in this report. I’ll see that they are fixed right away.”
Non-Verbal StrategiesMaintain eye contact, especially when the bully
becomes more aggressive. Do not look at the ground.
Stand tall and straight and square your shoulders. Look to occupy more rather than less space.
Stand facing the bully rather than facing sideways, or on an angle.
If sitting in a chair, keep your back straight, and feet firmly on the floor. Do not wrap your legs around the chair rungs.
If the bully comes and begins abusive behaviour when you are sitting, immediately stand up and face him/her.
Keep your hands away from your face; do not cover your mouth or nose.
Do not let the other person violate your personal space. Don’t back up, tell them to move back. “You’re standing too close to me. Please move back.”
Outward signs of fear, or intimidation.
Becoming “overly” emotional.
Taking stress leave or other medical leave unless you have reported the bullying behaviour
What to Avoid
• Being oversensitive to normal teasing or “team bonding” behaviour.
•
Taking things “personally”.
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIESUse official internal company
channels – HR; shop steward. Start this after the first instance of bullying behaviour
Prepare your case against the bully
Present your case – Rule of 2 – go 2 levels above the bully .
Obtain witness statements
Confront the Bully – difficult for many targets because they tend to be non-confrontational types of individuals
Consult an outside physician or therapist
Hire a lawyer
Get support from family and friends. Let them know what kind of support you are looking for e.g. listening)
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Responsibilities of the TargetTell the bully to stop the behaviour
Document the unacceptable behaviour
Demonstrate that this follows a pattern and is not a once in a year event
You have a range of choices: You can passively accept it, overtly encourage it, or denounce a bully's actions and provide support to the victims.
The "bystander effect"
STRATEGIES For
BYSTANDERS
Recognize that a problem exists and assistance is needed
Redirect the bully’s attention
Defend the Target
Report the bully’s activities to another level of authority or to the Union
Bystander ResponsibilitiesTake notes
Testify (grievance process, including arbitration or mediation)
Don’t leave the target alone with the bully
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
― Desmond Tutu
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”
M. L. King
Strategies FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Train Managers and Supervisors
Have a code of conduct which applies to EVERYONE
Provide skill training for staff in the area of conflict resolution
Include questions about possible occurrence on staff engagement surveys that are conducted.
• Be aware of typical hazing or initiation rites
•
Conduct exit interviews for all staff
• Support the Target by investigating ALL complaints.
•
Encourage reporting of bullying behaviour.
Organization ResponsibilitiesNon-retaliation clauseProvide training for
EVERYONETake complaints
seriouslySubject to just cause,
take disciplinary actionMonitor
Union StrategiesInitiate anti-bullying training
if none existsEnsure Shop Stewards are
trained and awareStress that all bullying
behaviour is unacceptable whether it is manager to employee or peer to peer
Union ResponsibilitiesSupport members who are
being bulliedNegotiate anti-bullying
policies with managementOrganize union action over
bullying if necessaryProvide advice and guidance
to members
• Contract language• Confidential and effective
process for reporting bullying behaviour
• Clean up your own house and do not allow members to bully one another
“When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sandpaper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.”
― Anonymous
“One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” Michael J. Fox
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