MANY young South Africans are victims to bullying at school – but the phenomenon is not limited to the playground.
People’s lives and careers are damaged daily by bullies in the workplace.
The good news? There are steps they can take to put an end to the bully’s reign of terror.
Dr Gillian Mooney of The Independent Institute of Education defines workplace bullying as ‘the consistent and repeated mistreatment of one employee by another’.
She says international estimates suggest that at least 1 in 6 people will at some stage fall victim to an office bully, which in turn affects the employee, the division, the team and – ultimately – the company.
‘Because it affects the target both mentally and physically, it will almost certainly impact on motivation and productivity,’ she says.
‘Psychologically, bullying causes heightened stress levels and often leads to depression, breakdowns, poor concentration, compromised memory, insecurity, irritability,and even post-traumatic stress syndrome.’
She says that physical symptoms of those on the receiving end of bullying may include chronic fatigue syndrome, lowered resistance to colds and flu, high blood pressure, migraines, hormonal disturbances, thyroid problems, skin irritations, stomach ulcers and substance abuse.
Toxic tactics
‘Toxic team-members cause a drop in productivity and organisational health owing to increased absenteeism and staff turnover, more accidents, bad customer service, higher costs for employee assistance programmes and decreased motivation and morale.
‘While legitimate and constructive criticism should be considered as positive and par for the course in the workplace, companies and individuals should not allow bullies to continue down their path of destruction,’ she says, emphasising that legitimate criticism occurs in a positive, non-threatening manner, and typically includes helpful methods for you to improve your work.
In contrast, bullying occurs in a negative manner and is abusive – either overtly or subtly.
‘A workplace bully may make unreasonable demands, use techniques such as verbal abuse which includes cursing, shouting, gossiping and constant undermining of the target, or tactics such as intimidation, degradation, isolation and humiliation,’ says Dr Mooney.
‘Employers can and should take steps to address bullying in the workplace.’
Are you the victim?
* Determine whether criticism is warranted. If you cannot distinguish between criticism and bullying, ask a trusted co-worker.
* Ask for help from a colleague who has been with the company for a long time. who may have greater insight into company policies, procedures and precedents.
* Keep a log of all incidents, including dates, times and context. Then approach your direct manager – or HR Department representative – with your concerns and evidence.
* If you are in the position to find work elsewhere, and if your attempts to address the bullying behaviour were not successful, ditching the toxic environment is a legitimate course of action and should not be seen as running away. However, before you resign be sure to consult with a lawyer regarding your rights.
Are you the employer?
* Be proactive. There is a lot that employers can do to prevent bullying from happening in the first place.
It is in the best interest of the company to make it very clear from the outset that bullying will not be tolerated, by establishing codes of conduct and ensuring all employees understand what is expected of them.
* Conduct regular staff assessments, particularly 360-degree reviews, as they are likely to reveal patterns of bullying.
* Keep accurate records, and ensure that all complaints are made in writing, which protects the rights of both parties. The target is not likely to put exaggerations into writing, and management will have a written record of exactly what the complaint is, while being able to spot developing patterns sooner rather than later.
* Respond effectively and promptly. All complaints should be taken seriously, and investigated without delay. The alleged perpetrators should be given the opportunity to respond to the accusations, and once a determination is made, disciplinary action where warranted should follow in line with company procedures.
In addition to punitive steps, professional help should also be provided for victims and teams in general, to create a more harmonious and positive work environment.
Don’t know if you’re being bullied?
Forbes has compiled a top ten list, and has listed them as follows on forbes.com
1 Work Means Misery.
If you often feel like throwing up or are particularly anxious the night before the start of your work week, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing workplace bullying, experts say. While few people look forward to Mondays, they shouldn’t cause you to feel physically ill.
2 Constant criticism.
It never seems to stop, despite your record of competence, or even excellence.
3 Lots of yelling – either in private or in front of your colleagues and clients.
4 Remembering your mistakes, constantly referring to them for no constructive reason, or falsely accusing you of errors.
5 Gossip and lies.
A bully is more likely to spread destructive stories about you or your performance.
6 Exclusion, either from meetings or social events with colleagues, or even moving your office space to an area away from others.
7 You always need to take mental health days or sick days, owing to your mental stress and fatigue.
8 Sabotage.
A bully will find ways to ensure that you fail at your job or tasks, either by changing your physical work, moving files, or amending rules on the fly so that you’re left in hot water.
9 Impossible schedule.
Bullies will change your schedule to make your life more difficult.
10 Stealing credit.
An office bully will often take credit for work that is not theirs.
Sources : theworldofwork.co.za / iie.ac.za / forbes.com
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