I am old school. I believe in dealing with bullies in general, the best solution is to kick their butts so they realize it is best not to bully people. Over the years, despite all rhetoric to the contrary, in general that seems to get the job done.
However, not everyone can fight a bully on the bully’s own terms. Especially in terms of the workplace. You can’t go scuffling out in the parking lot. It may be entertaining for a moment, but it does tend to freak people out. Plus there are the liability concerns. So even if the entire office staff gangs up on the bully, while it may be justified, and it may get you a whole lot of satisfaction, it is just not done so much in this modern age of ours.
According to an article on WEAU.com, there are tips on dealing with workplace bullies. As workplace bullies can be deleterious to your business, rapid dispatch is highly recommended. I have written about workplace bullies before. One such article was Background Checks May Weed Out Bullies in the Workplace. I have been interviewed about workplace violence and the bullies that go with it. Still, a bully is of a certain makeup, and dealing with it takes more than mere advice.
According to the article, this is something to think about…”If you’re in a workplace culture where bullying or negative behavior is just how they operate, it’s very difficult to change that and at that point it’s like do you want to stay here and try and fight a battle you probably won’t put a dent in or do you just want to leave the organization,” she says. ‘”Marshall says a shocking 70 percent of bullies are bosses, and that’s what makes reporting bullying such a tough issue for victims.”
Bullying bosses are tough to deal with. Bully bosses can be also known as jerks. There are few other terms I would apply to define them, but civil decorum prevents me from doing so. However, for those employers who are concerned about workplace bullying, I refer you to the Workplace Bullying Institute where you may find tips on how best to deal with the bullies in your office.
3 replies on “Dangers of Workplace Bullying”
In schoolyard bullying, the bullies are children, whose behaviour is controlled by the leaders, i.e. the school administration. In workplace bullying, however, the bullies are often the leaders themselves, i.e., the managers and supervisors. Therefore, reporting a bully to the HR dept, for example, may expose the target/victim to the risk of even more bullying, slower career advancement, or even termination, on the grounds of being a “troublemaker!”.
Workplace bullying has severe consequences, including reduced effectiveness and high employee turnover. An employee who suffers any physical or psychiatric injury as a result of workplace bullying can confront the bully, report the bully to the HR department or to the trade union, if any, or bring a claim of negligence and/or a personal injury claim against both the employer and the abusive employee as joint respondents in the claim. If the law does not persuade employers to deal with workplace bullying, the economic reality will persuade them. Training sessions can help when combined with a con?dential reporting structure, but it is difficult to alter the basic nature of some individuals, who may need counselling.
Maxwell Pinto, Business Author
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“Even if the entire office staff gangs up on the bully” — this is mobbing. It’s more than a matter of saying it’s just not done in the this modern age. Human aggression transcends age, and it’s clear that by creating a category of people who can be ganged up on with social impunity, it will be done.
Workplace aggression is a serious problem, and the consequences to the organization and the targeted worker are huge. But fighting one form of workplace aggression with another form of workplace aggression only fuels hostility.
Whenever a social movement emerges to address a social problem, it risks losing its credibility once its leadership declares itself the only legitimate authority on the issue, rejects differing views and insults anyone who expresses them, defines itself as morally superior and others as “enemies,” and establishes a singular script by which the problem is discussed. The WBI did a remarkable job of bringing attention to a serious issue, but its credibility has suffered by perpetuating the very style of authoritative leadership that it condemns.
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