Aileen MacMillan

In Canada, federally regulated workplaces are now required “to develop policies and programs dealing with such issues as bullying, teasing and other harmful behaviour.” (5)

This is good news for the victims, considering the devastating effect of bullying. One study outlined in a Reuters article concluded that victims “overall well-being is worse, they are more stressed, angry, anxious, less committed and more likely to quit.” (1) And the statistics are staggering. A 2007 Zogby poll of over 7,700 individuals estimates “that the skills of 21+ million workers are lost to employers due to bullying.” (7) Even if bully victims do not leave their jobs, productivity and satisfaction decline. For example, the Canada Safety Council finds that “bullied employees waste between 10 and 52 per cent of their time at work” due to the anxiety and stress of the situation and the need to defend themselves. (2)

What steps should be taken? Sandy Hershcovis, a researcher from the University of Manitoba suggests training employees to recognize bullying and to take a strong stand against it. (1) Meanwhile, Anne Payne - director at the Validium Group – suggests that buddies or external support be offered to victims. (6) In addition, she stresses the importance of following up on reports of bullying; a point that becomes even more poignant when one considers the results of the Zogby poll that reveal “when employers are notified, in the majority (62%) of cases, they do nothing or make matters worse.” (7)

From a legal perspective, Tracey Levy advises that “managers need to understand federal, state and local laws with regard to harassment and discrimination” and she reminds us that the performance management process is a valuable tool to use to deal with bullies. (4)

Yet advice to victims can be mixed. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety recommends that individuals document everything that happens to them and report it, moving up the supervisory ladder if necessary. (3) Meanwhile the Canada Safety Council website advises victims to proceed with care, since the statistics show that “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.” (2) On the other hand, a smaller percentage of bullies experienced the same consequences.

Dealing with incidents of bulling can often prove to be challenging, even in the best of circumstances. What policies and programs has your organization put in place to stop bullying?

References:

1 Armstrong, Natalie. “Workplace bullying worse than sexual harassment: study.” Reuters, March 10, 2008.

2 Canada Safety Council. “Bullying in the Workplace” [www.safety-council.org]. September 2000.

3 Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. “Bullying in the Workplace” [www.ccohs.ca]. March 8, 2005.

4 Levy, Tracey. “An HR Legal Primer.” Human Resource Executive Online [www.hreonline.com]. March 24, 2008.

5 “New measures to tackle workplace violence.” Thestar.com [The Canadian Press], June 17, 2008.

6 Payne, Anne. “How to … prevent workplace bullying.” People Management Online [www.peoplemanagement.co.uk]. July 1, 2008.

7 Zogby International. “Zogby Poll: As Labor Day Nears, Workplace Bullying Institute Survey Finds Half of Working Americans Affected by Workplace Bullying.” Press release [www.zogby.com]. August 30, 2007.