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Workplace bullying has been defined as offensive behaviour through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating ways to undermine an individual or group of employees.
The abuse of power can cause chronic stress and anxiety that the employees gradually lose their self confidence and don't believe in themselves, resulting in mental distress.
Examples of bullying/harassment behaviour are:
- Spreading malicious rumours or insulting someone by word of mouth or behaviour.
- Sending critical e-mails to others who don't need to know about a particular person
- Ridiculing or demeaning someone, generally picking on an individual or group.
- Exclusion or victimisation
- Unfair treatment
- Missuse of power
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Making threats
- Deliberately undermining a competent worker, maybe by overloading them with work
- Preventing individuals progressing
Any forms of bullying is not acceptable, whether this is face to face, by telephone, e-mail or written communication. If the bully is another employee than this should be reported to a line manager or if the offender is a line manager, it needs to taken to the next level of management.
If a complaint is not addressed and the bullying continues, an employee could raise it through a formal grievance procedure or whatever procedure is in place to deal with bullying and harassment. An employee has a statutory right to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative.
Some employers have devised policies to help deal with bullying in the workplace such as:
- Showing how to make an informal and formal complaint
- Giving a clear procedure for investigating allegations
- Allowing an employee to be represented in making your grievance
- Recognising the disciplinary action that can be taken
- Ensuring total employee confidentiality
Some Do's and Don'ts (for employers and employees)
Do
- Make it clear that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated to staff and advise what will happen, this will help your business to run smoothly as well as giving people peace of mind
- Tell people where to go if it does occur
- Carry out thorough investigations
- Deal with the person causing the problem
Don't
- Ignore the situation, this needs to be dealt with immediately and quickly before any major problems arise
- Be tempted to blame the person being bullied or harassed
- Assume that a person from an ethnic minority background is playing the 'race card'.
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