Bullying in
classrooms and playgrounds is a hot topic right now. People all over the
country are discussing ways to stop it from happening and how to help the
victims. While everyone is quick to discuss childhood bullying, there is
another type of bullying affecting people all over the country that no one
seems to want to talk about--workplace bullying.
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Called a
silent epidemic by many, studies show that as many as 54 million Americans have
been bullied at some point while at work. However, 40% of those targeted never
tell their boss. Bullying is four times more prevalent than discrimination, but
yet there are laws in place to protect employees from discrimination. No laws
exist to protect employees from bullying. With no laws to protect them and
employers that do not seem to discourage bullying, people prefer not to discuss
that they are being bullied.
It is very
important that management in every company works to eradicate bullying from its
company culture. Not only does it cause problems among employees, it also costs
time and money. Bullying leads to high turnover, low productivity, loss of
sharing ideas and creative thinking, and can harm the company’s reputation. The
following are important facts that employers should know about bullying:
Health
Effects
Bullying has
been proven to negatively affect the health of those targeted. 45% of people
that are bullied suffer from stress-related health problems. These include:
Emotional stress
|
Digestive issues
|
High blood pressure
|
Low self esteem
|
Insomnia
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
PTSD
|
Trouble in relationships
|
When
employees are experiencing these health problems, they tend to miss more work
and when they are at work, productivity is low.
Ways
People Bully
There are
numerous ways a bully can torture a target at work. Approximately 70% of workplace bullies are
supervisors. The following are things that employers should watch for during
interactions between all employees, especially managers and those under their
supervision:
- Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing
- Unjustified criticism or blame
- Purposeful exclusion from activities
- Ignoring work and ideas
- Humiliation, embarrassment
- Practical jokes
The best way
for an employer to protect employees is awareness of how employees are
interacting with each other. Bullying patterns in employee exchanges may indicate
that a person is a repeat offender of some of the above list, if not all.
Strategies
for Curtailing Bullying
Employers should
take several steps to creating a bully-free workplace. The first step is to meet
with a business attorney to develop an anti-bullying policy. Next, it is
important to provide employee education and awareness. Train managers to watch
for the signs and symptoms of bullying, and instruct managers regarding how
they can help protect employees. Educate all employees about the company’s
stance on workplace bullying. Make sure to impress upon employees that the
company sincerely wants to know if they are being bullied and that steps will
be taken to mediate the situation. It is vital that employers not create a
hostile work environment by unwittingly rewarding bullies. Employers should
treat all bullying claims seriously. Investigation and documentation of claims is
very important.
About 20% of
bullying turns into harassment. Once it reaches that point, the employee being
targeted can sue the company. By creating policies that work to prevent
bullying, a company can protect itself and its employees.
Sources:
Conflict Management at Iowa. (December 14, 2010). The University of Iowa. Retrieved April 29,
2013 from http://www.uiowa.edu/~confmgmt/tencharacter.shtml
Results of the 2007 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey.
(n.d.) Workplace Bullying Institute. http://www.workplacebullying.org/wbiresearch/wbi-2007/
Workplace Bullying. (n.d.)Bullying Statistics. Retrieved April 29, 2013 from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html
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