This is Part 2 of a series on workplace bullies. Read Part 1 here.
The manager that berates and embarrasses a staff member in front of coworkers and clients; the team member that is the consummate team player on the surface but behind the scenes sabotages a coworker’s reputation; the supervisor that repeatedly “forgets” to invite a coworker to important meetings and jeopardizes their ability to meet deadlines. We’ve probably all heard stories like this or perhaps have been on the receiving end of this type of behavior at work.
This article (part two of our series on preventing workplace bullying) focuses on steps all employers should consider to uncover bullying behavior and mitigate the toxic impact of bullies at work.
Workplace bullying takes many shapes and is described as the repeated mistreatment of an individual (described as a target) that involves one or a combination of the following: verbal abuse, physical intimidation, psychological distress, or sabotage of work/reputation. This mistreatment interferes with the target’s work product or ability to perform their job.
Bullies show up at work in four common ways:
The true impact of workplace bullies is hard to accurately measure. However, research indicates that bullying and other types of abusive behaviors result in lost productivity, absenteeism, turnover, and increased medical costs. Employees subjected to bullying at work may suffer from decreased concentration, insomnia, mood swings, depression, stress, and migraines. In fact, research suggests that targets of bullying may experience a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Bullying occurs in many workplace settings and is prevalent in cultures that foster competitiveness and individual contributions over more team-based or collaborative cultures. Bullies may utilize covert techniques (such as spreading rumors and sabotaging work product) and overt techniques (such as yelling, public humiliation, and physical threats).
Fran Sepler, a national expert on investigating workplace misconduct, explains that bullies are effective “because they tend to bully along power lines, and sustain productive relationships with superiors and clients. Because their bullying behavior is subtle, hidden, or both, the extent of their abusiveness is only seen by those targeted, or tremulous witnesses who do what is necessary to avoid becoming a target.” https://www.sepler.com/fran-sepler
The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) advocates for legislation defining and prohibiting workplace bullying. They support a national grassroots movement to enact the anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill (HWB). According to WBI statistics, thirty-one states have introduced the HWB, including Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Preventing and mitigating the negative impacts of bullying at work takes ongoing effort and attention. Here are a few steps all employers should consider:
Culture Assessment. Leaders that engage in an organizational culture assessment may be surprised to find toxic and bullying behaviors are happening on their watch. Factors conducive to a “bullying culture” include as a high level of internal competitiveness, hierarchical power structures, unearned privilege, and low behavioral accountability. An assessment is the first step to uncovering issues that may be happening under radar and sets the stage to address these issues.
Respectful Workplace Policy. Adopt a policy that sets clear expectations for workplace conduct, prohibits harassing and abusive conduct (that extends protection beyond traditional protected class policies), and provides a process to address problematic conduct. In fact, some experts advocate organizations take it a step further and adopt a specific anti-bullying policy to spur much needed education and conversation.
Turnover and Retention. Pay attention to your turnover and retention rates. Of course, many Northland employers have been experiencing greater than usual staffing shortages and staffing challenges amidst the “great resignation.” Yet, keep track of your turnover and retention data and look for trends. For example, does a particular supervisor have greater than average turnover on their team? This may be a sign of problematic issues that need to be resolved.
Training. Incorporate training that raises awareness around bullying, provides realistic examples of how bullying shows up in the workplace, clearly explains consequences of bullying behavior, and provides an avenue to report issues.
Take Complaints Seriously. Create an employee complaint process and take complaints seriously. As Sepler warns, because “bullies are notoriously effective at ‘managing up,’ and are often held in great esteem by their leaders and advisors, complaints of bullying may be brushed aside or minimized.” Bullies are adept at making the target look like “a bad employee.” Employers that are not aware of these underlying dynamics may be dismissive of complaints, allowing the problematic behavior to continue.
Role Model and Accountability. Leaders at all levels must “walk the talk” and role model respect, civility, and professionalism at work. Hold all employees accountable to the expectations outlined in your respectful workplace policy and address problematic behaviors.
Savvy employers take action to uncover, mitigate, and prevent the harmful and negative outcomes of workplace bullies. Assessing culture, policy implementation, tracking data, training, investigating complaints, role modeling, and accountability are important steps in eradicating the toxic impact of bullies and creating a workplace of civility, respect, and professionalism.
About the Author
Human Resources thought leader, Stacy Johnston, provides innovative solutions with a mission to support organizations in understanding and engaging their biggest competitive advantage… their employees. Johnston is a licensed attorney and holds the SHRM-CP and PHR credentials.
Interested in HR support? Check out the online resources at www.audacityhr.com.
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