Workplace BullyingIdentifying and Dealing with It

ALLISON HORAKPEOPLE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

Overview At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define workplace bullying / abusive conduct

• Identify specific behaviors that do/may constitute bullying

• Discuss the effects of bullying on individuals and teams

• Learn some strategies for confronting and preventing bullying at work

• Lay a foundation for establishing a training program at their organizations to confront and prevent workplace bullying

• 37% have current or past direct experience with being subjected to abusive conduct at work

• Bosses are still the majority of bullies (but not the only ones!)

• 72% of employers deny, discount, encourage, rationalize, or defend it

Statistics courtesy of Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014

WORKPLACE BULLYING

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“ABUSIVE CONDUCT” AND THE LAW

Assembly Bill 2053 requires the two-hour sexual harassment prevention training to include a discussion about “abusive conduct” in the workplace.

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…BUT WHAT IS IT?“Abusive conduct” means conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer’s legitimate business interests. Abusive conduct may include repeated infliction of verbal abuse, such as the use of derogatory remarks, insults, and epithets, verbal or physical conduct that a reasonable person would find threatening, intimidating, or humiliating, or the gratuitous sabotage or undermining of a person’s work performance. A single act shall not constitute abusive conduct, unless especially severe and egregious.

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BUT THAT STILL ISN’T CLEAR. WHAT IS BULLYING?

Some practical examples of categories of “abusive conduct” or bullying:

1. Threat to professional status - public humiliation, belittling opinions

2. Threat to personal standing – undermining personal integrity, persistent teasing, inappropriate joking

3. Isolation - interference (or “sabotage”) that prevents work from getting done, preventing access to opportunities or necessary information

4. Overwork – undue pressure, impossible deadlines

5. Destabilization – failure to acknowledge good work, allocation of meaningless tasks, repeated reminders of blunders

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MORE EXAMPLES• Frequent emotional comments and outbursts• Use of power/position for self-interest• Aggressive demands for results• Insults• Yelling/screaming• Cursing• Clenched fists• Nasty comments• Inappropriate gestures

Usually focused on an individual or a select few people7

WHO IS THE “BULLY”?Anyone can be a “bully” – manager, supervisor, coworker

…even YOU!

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Video – Good Morning America

What comments or questions come to mind?

WHAT IS NOT BULLYING?What’s the difference between bullying and harmless banter?

Look for three signs:

(1) The banter isn’t reciprocal—the one who dishes it doesn’t get it in return;

(2) It’s targeted—the same people are continually on the receiving end; and

(3) It’s personal—the banter focuses on something about the person’s innate weaknesses or inferiority.

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EFFECTS OF BULLYING AT WORKVictims can suffer physical or emotional harm that interferes with their professional and personal lives.

Employers suffer the costs associated with decreased attendance, increased medical and insurance claims, legal claims, and lost productivity and opportunity costs resulting from demoralized and distracted workers.

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Video: “Managing the Workplace Bully”

Takeaways and Practical Tips

Small Group Exercise

1. Form groups of 5-6 people.2. Imagine management at your organization asked you to

formulate a training session about identifying and preventing workplace bullying.

3. What essential content and policies might you present to employees and managers?

Discussion Questions Why is it so important to eliminate workplace bullying?

How do you deal with senior executives or others in positions of power who may be unaware of their behavior because no one will tell them?

Can bullies change?

HOW TO BUILD A CULTURE OF RESPECTSome simple and powerful ways to demonstrate respect at work:

• Treat people with courtesy, politeness, and kindness

• Encourage coworkers to express opinions/ideas

• Listen before expressing your own viewpoint

• Use people’s ideas to change/improve work

• Praise more frequently than criticize

• Never insult, name call, disparage, or put down

• Avoid nit-picking, constant criticism over “little things,” belittling, etc.

• Treat people the same regardless of race, religion, gender, size, age, etc.

• Include all coworkers in meetings, discussions, training, events

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Resources Workplace Bullying Institute – www.workplacebullying.org

Forbes Magazine – www.forbes.com

Wikipedia – search: workplace bullying

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/419/petty-tyrant

School Bullying – www.stopbullying.gov

Resources Workplace Bullying Institute – www.workplacebullying.org

Forbes Magazine – www.forbes.com

Wikipedia – search: workplace bullying

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/419/petty-tyrant

School Bullying – www.stopbullying.gov

Wrap-Up … Thank you!NEXT TOPIC:

The Art and Science of Motivation and Morale

ALLISON’S CONTACT INFO:

allison.horak@ppldev.com

or

(916) 417-1872