Gaining Ground Against Workplace Bullies

Have you ever been bullied at work? Have you seen someone else getting bullied? Would you consider your boss a bully? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you’re not alone. Thirty-seven percent of Americans reported being bullied at work and 12 percent reported having witnessed someone else getting bullied, according to a 2007 study released by the Workplace Bullying Institute along with Zogby International.

A follow-up study this year found that in 24 percent of bullying cases reported to employers, the employer did nothing and the bullying target was retaliated against, and eventually lost her job.

Why is bullying behavior so prevalent though mishandled in the workplace? A potential indicator is that it’s often immune from legal repercussions. This could all change as many states are now considering “healthy workplace legislation” to prohibit bullying.

Do you think respectful treatment in the workplace should be legally required? Or would such mandates lead to an increase in tricky lawsuits against employers?

To find out more about workplace bullying including other studies and potential solutions for both individuals and companies, visit the Workplace Bullying web site.

Comments

[Melanie]

I would be interested to see what a "healthy workplace" would look like in legal terms and how would it differ from harassment legislation?

Ultimately, legislation could help organizations, as it would force them to take a hard look at their workplace culture. If people are happy at work then they are going to be more productive.

[Brandi Ewing]

I agree with Melanie, I would be interested to see what is considered a “healthy workplace”. I do think that such mandates can lead to an increase in tricky lawsuits against employers. I also think that what’s defined as healthy is very subjective. I’ve worked in corporate cultures where I’d say some bullying and strong arming existed. I’ve walked into meetings feeling intimidated not knowing what to expect. I’ve seen people be publicly called out on their actions or lack there of. But I also felt the environment was healthy, helped me to grow, and was beneficial to the company.

[martha]

Most large agencies and businesses already have something about a respectful workplace in the employee manual or policy, but that isn't preventing the bullies we see in WA. The standard of proof to define bullying is very high, includes health harm, and proof the behavior is malicious and sustained. We are at stopthebullies.home.comcast.net

[Careerguyd]

I would also recommend reading Bob Sutton who has some excellent observations on this topic:

http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/