Tweak Your Biz » Management » Workplace bullying – Do not stand alone

Workplace bullying – Do not stand alone

by Catherine Connors on July 13th, 2011
9 Comments



This is the last post in this series; please click to read the first and second post.

In my last two posts I took at look at workplace bullying, what exactly is bullying, how to spot a bully within your company/team, the impact of bullying and how to spot the ‘bully’ within you.  In this final post I’m going to take a look at some of the actions that you could use should you ever find yourself in the position of been bullied at work, of course bearing in mind that every situation is different.

Before you consider taking action, it is best to talk it over with someone.  It’s always a possibility that what may seem like bullying, in fact not be.  For example changes within the organization can create stress on all levels (staff, supervisors, managers etc), and so stress may be causing some short term issues and demands.  If you are finding it difficult to cope, perhaps take the time to talk to your manager or supervisor, who may well be as concerned as you are.  Sometimes in situations like this communication can be the way to make changes.

What to do if you are bullied at work

Employers have a responsibility to care for their employees and this includes dealing with bullying at work.  Here are measures you can take if you are a victim of workplace bullying –

  • Get Advice – speak to someone about how you might deal with the problem informally, this may be a trade union official, someone in HR, your manager or supervisor.  Some companies have specially trained staff (harassment advisers) to help with bullying or harassment cases.  You can check with a HR rep to find out if your company has one.
  • Talk to your bully – the bullying behavior may not be deliberate (sometimes stress, personal issues, problems at home or work can turn the best person into a temporary ogre), sometimes by having a calm and polite conversation can make a big difference, as the bully may not have even realized how their behavior has been affecting you.  Work out what to say beforehand, describe what’s happening and what you object to.  If you find that you cannot do this then it may be possible to ask someone else to do this on your behalf, again a HR rep, supervisor, manager etc.
  • Keep a written record – write down every incident in a diary noting date & time, and keep copies of any relevant documents, insulting emails, aggressive notes etc.  If you need to make a formal charge against this person then your written record will be invaluable. Bullying can be a very stressful situation and you may find this is affecting your health, if this is the case for you then I would advise you to visit your doctor, you may need a letter from the doctor should you consider making a formal complaint.
  • Make a formal complaint – making a formal complaint is next step if you cannot resolve the issue informally.  To do this you must follow your employer’s grievance procedure.  It’s at this point that you may need the advice of a legal representative, such a lawyer, solicitor etc. Normally the grievance procedures for a company are in writing, you should be able to find these in the company handbook, HR or personnel manual, Hr intranet site or your own employment contract.  You should also be able to find the name of the person that you can submit your grievance to.
  • Generally to comply with the Code, the general employer’s grievance procedure is likely to include the following steps –
  • Writing a letter to your employer setting out the details of your grievance
  • A meeting with your employer to discuss the issue (you may need to bring your evidence at this point so remember your written records and any other hard evidence you have)
  • Legal Action – sometimes the problem continues even after you have followed all of the above steps.  If nothing has been done and you feel that there is no other option then you can think about legal action, which may mean going to an Employment Tribunal.  You will need professional assistance at this point and your complaint will be made under the laws covering discrimination and harassment.

If you are in a place where you find that you are the victim of workplace bullying you most certainly are not alone, I hope these posts will be helpful to you.  If you have anymore information that you would like to offer please feel free to add those as comments below.

Lastly “When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves” – Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book

I’d like to hear your thoughts.

 



Category: coaching, HR and recruitment, Leadership, motivation, Relationships, Self- development, Uncategorized, workplace relationships

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The Author:

I am a Stress Management Coach (also a Holistic & Natural therapist and teacher). I am dedicated to managing stress, resilience and well-being, my training courses and consultancy are designed to help create a working (or home) environment where resilience is enhanced and well-being is protected, allowing people to respond positively to challenges and perform at their best. I provide in-house training courses, consultancy and workshops to private and public sector organisations (also one-on-one sessions). I specialise in providing practical training for managers and employees aimed at minimising the risk of stress and enhancing well-being within the organisation. http://www.de-stress4life.com/

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  • http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Niall Devitt

    Hi Catherine, thank you dealing with such an important topic and putting together thisu00a0greatu00a0series. I was u00a0only talking to someone the other day who asked my opinion on a situation they were facing at work, I’m going to point this person to this post as it answers many of the questions I was asked. Great resource!

  • Bernie

    Excellent article Catherine but the real difficulty I have found lately is when the bully is the person’s manager and it is in a small organization where there is no recourse to HR.u00a0 Usually the individual ends up leaving which means the bully never learns either to change their ways or realises that they are actually bullying people and believe their behaviour is the norm.

  • http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

    Hi Catherine – great series, and so important. Many employees do not recognise they are being bullied, and put it down to occupational hazards, to be put up with.nLack of respect is not something to be “put up with”. I knew someone who was being targeted in a male dominated office, and one day, while her colleague was having a rant, she began writing down everything he said. nHe became very annoyed that she was seemingly ignoring him, and asked her what was she doing. She simply replied “I am writing down everything you say”. The bullying stopped right there, good for her, but he just moved on to someone else!nHopefully, this experience may encourage someone to quietly stand up to their bully, and swiftly put a stop to it. Not an easy task, and unfortunately, the bully may not learn.nVictims are chosen, so it’s important to look at oneself if being targeted, and see where they can assert themselves better, and not provide a platform for the bully to engage.

  • business diploma courses

    n This is then perfect blog for anyone who wants to know about this topic. You know so muchn its almost hard to argue with you . You definitely put a new spin on an subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great! If you are finding it difficult to cope, perhaps take the time to talk nto your manager or supervisor, who may well be as concerned as you are.u00a0n Sometimes in situations like this communication can be the way to make nchanges.Employers have a responsibility to care for their employees and this includes dealing with bullying at work. nnbusiness diploma courses

  • Albert Smith

    Usually the individual ends up leaving which means the bully never learns either to change their ways or realizes that they are actually bullying people and believe their behaviors is the norm.. Typically the sufferer of the office harassment or discrimination is missing confidence in their very own means and has fear of retribution and even worse, being dismissed.
    Bullying Harassment Training

  • http://www.creditcardflyers.com/balance-transfer.php 0 balance transfer

    You can tolerate this rudeness only so far and no further. Don’t be a victim I would suggest you take a look at the work of The Boss Whispering
    Institute, which offers specialized coaching for managers engaged in
    workplace bullying, and helps employers navigate the challenging step of
    intervening with an abrasive manager.

  • Maxpin1

    Employees can collectively diffuse the situation by identifying
    bullies,  isolating them, exposing them,
    standing up to them, reporting them to the HR department or to their trade
    union (if any), or even enlisting the support of another bully to confront and
    neutralize this type of behavior. Training sessions can help, when combined
    with a confidential reporting structure, although it is difficult to alter the
    basic nature of certain individuals, who may need counseling.

     

    An employee who suffers any mental, emotional or physical injury as a
    result of workplace bullying, can  sue the company in question and the
    abusive employee, as joint respondents in the claim. If the law does not
    persuade employers to deal with bullying, economic reality will!

    For free abridged books on leadership, ethics,
    women in the workforce, sexual harassment and bullying, trade unions, etc.,
    send a request to maxpin1@hotmail.com

    Maxwell
    Pinto, Business Author

         
    http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MaxPinto

     

  • Nfg2240

    My girlfriend and I work together (teachers) and there was an incident last week where our assistant administrator yelled rudely at us collectively through the PA system in front of students(which was unprofessional as well, but continuing…). After the period was over, my girlfriend went down very calmly and said that it wasn’t okay to be yelling at people over the PA, especially when they aren’t involved in any matter. The result was snide remarks and no resolution. The next day, the overall administrator gives us a collective lecture about how we’re treated so well and how dare any of us speak disrespectfully to her deputy… even though she clearly got the biased end of that story from the asst. principal. She even threatened to fire anyone who spoke in such a manner… basically saying, “Take it or leave.” This type of thing has happened before as well. I’m strongly considering going to HR because we are so hellbent in schools about preventing bullying and then we cultivate that environment on the staff. The irony.

  • Nfg2240

    I shared a part of my experience above. You are dead on. I am leaving and even changing professions in fear that more experiences will be just like this one. I fear there is no recourse though at any level.

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