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Chances are you do in one shape or another. Bullying can be offensive comments or jokes, aggressive behaviour, inappropriate staring, sexual harassment, and even isolating or making fun of a worker because of his or her gender identity.

Ted had (yes had, the bully is gone) a boss who stomped and made verbal threats. It was intimidating – always feeling that he didn’t quite measure up. Almost afraid of making a mistake – it was always in the back of his mind. What would happen if he did make a mistake?

Can you just imagine the wasted energy? Ted probably didn’t realize he was being less productive or the impact this would have on his co-workers, and even on the bottom line of the organization.

If Ted was in your organization would he know his options? He could speak to his boss, Human Resources, the head of the company, or the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. There are many alternatives where he could find support!

According to research from Dr. Judy Blando (University of Phoenix) almost 75% of employees surveyed had been affected by workplace bullying, whether as a target or a witness. That’s pretty scary! It could be verbal abuse (sometimes it can also be the spreading of malicious rumours), while some experience physical abuse (hitting, pushing, slapping) and today there is even online bullying where people are intimidated and humiliated.

How can you prevent bullying behaviour in your workplace? There are some steps you can take to deter bullying, such as:

Create a written policy dealing with bullying behaviour for your employee handbook
Be a leader – don’t participate in bullying behaviour
When you see or hear someone being bullied, stand up to the bully by letting him or her know this behaviour is not acceptable
If you’re the boss, discipline anyone who exhibits bullying behaviour
Provide training for all staff to learn about the rights of people in the workplace

Knowing how to prevent bullying is one thing. But what do you do when it’s happening to you? You follow these steps to help you in difficult situations:

Have an honest talk with the bully about the behaviour and how you feel about it
Document the behaviour – write down date, time and any details
Seek support from a higher up in your organization or Human Resources
Take time off to gather your wits and decide how to handle the situation

Bullying has no place in the workplace. Unfortunately, it is not easy to get rid of it if it is part of the culture of an organization – it takes time, perseverance and a willingness to change. Ted spoke to his superiors, documented every situation and his boss was fired. Be the leader – stand up and be counted when you see or hear bullying occurring.

Sherry’s CORNER

Like others I get a lot of newsletters and “Morning” Thoughts. Recently Alan Weis talked in his Monday Morning Memo about the lack of “reason”. I tend to agree with him! I call it “common sense”.

Why would a woman berate a man for opening her door when he is being kind? Why would youth use the “f” word in front of their grandparent when this is something they grew up with knowing it to be disrespectful? Why would one driver not allow another into a line of traffic when they have their signal light on to merge when these are the rules of the road?

It appears common sense is not so common these days. Perhaps our days would be a little brighter if we all took a moment to consider the reasonableness of our actions.

Please share your thoughts – email me at sherry@dimension11.com.

QUOTE

“Let’s face it: Every campus has its share of students who can’t quite comprehend that extreme political correctness is often born of the same intolerance and anti-intellectualism as standard-issue bigotry.”
Meghan Daum

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www.dimension11.com ♦ sherry@dimension11.com