How to Deal with a Workplace Bully
Most Canadian workers have been faced with it, seen it happen or know someone else who has suffered from it. Many have left jobs they loved because of it.
Yet workplace bullying still goes largely unrecognized in workplace policies. Except in
Quebec, unless the bullying takes the form of sexual harassment or discrimination along recognized lines such as sex, race or religion, it does not exist effectively in labour laws.
Workplace bullying is the ongoing health- or career-endangering mistreatment of an employee, by one or more of their peers or higher-ups. Unlikely to involve physical violence, it usually takes the form of psychological abuse. Often, verbal and strategic insults are intended to prevent targets from being successful in their job.
A 2003 survey found 82 percent of people who have been a target of abuse felt they had no choice except to leave their jobs to escape the intolerable behaviour. Worse, statistics show these bullies don't pick on the new guy, but long-term, well-established employees. The most common victims are women in their 40s. Internal workplace systems usually look for bullying amongst peers, but in most cases (71 percent), the bully is a person in a position of authority.
The costs to employers are substantial. Bullying leads to the loss of competent employees. It also creates a poisoned work environment that demoralizes other staff and decreases productivity.
Resolving a workplace bullying situation can be very difficult. Management may side with a bully who is seen as “getting results.” Litigation is expensive − on top of which building a winning case can be hard, especially if you did not know what measures to take early on. Although unions can sometimes help, more than often the targets of bullying must solve the problem themselves.
Tips for Targets
First it helps to determine the type and tactics of bully with whom you are dealing.
The Screaming Mimi humiliates targets in public settings in order to control the emotional climate at work.
The Constant Critic falsely accuses and undermines targets behind closed doors, attempting to control the target's self-identity.
The Two-Headed Snake is a duplicitous, passive-aggressive destroyer of reputations through rumour-mongering, controls target's reputation.
The Gatekeeper controls target via withholding resources (e.g. time, budget, autonomy, training) necessary to succeed.
Knowing the type of person you are dealing with can help determine how best to defend yourself. Often these bullies will recruit others to help. Males tend to favour using other management, while females recruit from the social network.
If you feel you are a target of bullying, some experts suggest this three-point plan:
1. Name it. Calling it bullying or psychological violence or harassment makes the problem external. Shame is reduced; healing can begin.
2. Take time off to accomplish these four tasks: check your physical health for stress-related complications; get mental health counseling; check for violations of employer policies and labour laws; and gather data showing the fiscal impact of bullying to the employers.
3. Present your business case and evidence to the highest ranking individual at the company or agency.
Be careful though, because taking the direct approach may result in undesired and unpredictable consequences. Of people who reported bullying in the workplace, 17 percent of targets were transferred, 33 percent ended up leaving voluntarily and 37 percent were terminated. In only 13 percent of those cases was the bully censored, transferred or terminated.
Those numbers are certainly not encouraging to anyone hoping to resolve the issue.
A new service, www.anonymousemployee.com allows you to communicate your concerns with superiors without having to reveal who you are. It is designed to let you test the waters and decide if you will get the support you need before launching an official complaint. In any such communication with management you should present your case professionally, and proactively suggest possible improvements to employment practices or policies.
If your safety is not restored, you may be forced to leave − but do not go silently shrouded in shame.
Sadly, there are no easy answers to this problem. We must all work together to increase awareness of the issue and help to establish better workplace policies and labour laws to prevent bullying from happening in the first place.
Preston Squire, AnonymousEmployee.com Inc.
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