Do You Have a Workforce Bullying Problem?
Bullying is a hot topic in the news right now. Prevalent in middle and high schools, bullying is a chronic issue facing kids today. But bullying doesn't just affect kids--it's a major issue facing today's workforce. And instead of fists and playground fights, bullying in your workplace may occur in meetings, emails or through other day-to-day activities.
Often, workplace bullying doesn't refer to an isolated incident, but an ongoing trend of harassment, intimidating and degradation. Bullying can come from a boss or a co-worker.
In a study of U.S. workers, 41.4% of respondents reported experiencing psychological aggression at work in the past year (representing 47 million workers).
Why should bullying matter to you and your business? The obvious answer is that bullying is wrong--it's cruel treatment of other human beings, and there should be no tolerance for that type of behavior in your business.
But take another look at workplace bullying. When your employees are threatened by their co-workers, or made to feel self-conscious or harassed, their productivity will be down, morale will be in the gutter, and your team will be far from its most productive (and don't forget turnover). From a "human" standpoint, and from a numbers standpoint, bullying is bad for business. Here are some ways you can identify if workplace bullying is an issue in your business, so that you can take swift action:
Workplace bullies are typically "smooth talkers" who can manipulate supervisors and organizational leaders, and who are also typically overachievers in their own areas of business.
If one employee seems regularly shunned during meetings, happy hours or other company gatherings, you may want to monitor the situation to ensure the cause is not bullying.
Listen closely to verbal teasing in your office. Sometimes teasing does go too far--listen for trends, repeated comments, or other responses, which may be indicative of a serious problem.
This type of behavior can present itself in a myriad of ways in the workplace.
Rather than through direct actions, which can expose workplace bullies to criticism, watch for sabotaging of projects, feedback, or other actions of your employees.
The average workplace grapevine is to be expected, but malicious, cruel gossip and rumors are not.
If you witness an exceptional workload being dropped on a particular employee, without warrant, this may raise a red flag. This is particularly true if one or more of the other indicators is present.
In addition to monitoring your office for bullying behaviors, employers must establish a no-tolerance policy for bullying. A documented process and code of conduct can help thwart bullies before they act, and can give employees a clear course of action if they feel they are subjected to workplace bullying.
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