Harris Interactive(c) conducted a study commissioned by CareerBuilder about bullying in the workplace. The study does not offer anyone definition of bullying but rather lists of actions that can be thought of as bullying. The study included more than 3,800 people across the country and came up with the following findings:
Falsely accused of making mistakes 42 per cent
* Not listened to 39 per cent
* Employed different guidelines or standards towards me than other workers .at 36 per cent
* Continuously criticized – 33 per cent
* A person didn’t fulfil certain duties, which affected my job -31%
* Dissented by the boss in front of co-workers – 28 per cent
“Belittling” comments were made regarding my work in meetings- – 24 per cent
Then, a few people shopped around 26 per cent
Someone took credit on my job – 19 per cent
* Excluded for the purpose of not being part of meetings or projects — 18 per cent
* Selected for personal characteristics -15%
In a different method, CareerBuilder reports the following details. It is clear the personal consequences these behaviours can cause. Are you willing to allow this behaviour that could be prevented to affect your team?
* Thirty-five per cent of employees reported feeling bullied at work, a rise from 27 per cent in the previous year (2011).
* Sixteen per cent of employees reported that they had health issues as a result of the effects of bullying.
* 17 per cent chose to leave their job to be free of the pressure.
Thirty-five per cent. THREE-FIVE PERCENT! A third of 3800 workers that were surveyed were confronted with at least one type of bullying mentioned above. The amount of people surveyed is sufficient to conclude that the results aren’t random and that a subsequent study of the same size could produce similar results. How does that translate for you, dear leader of your team? This means that there are likely to be one in three that members of your team were confronted with the same kind of behaviour from other team members. It is also evident that between 16 and 17 per cent of people who have dealt with the issue have been affected so severely that it affects their health and even forces them to look for jobs elsewhere.
If you’re on the team, perhaps this type of harassment (and it’s important to note that they’re all forms of harassment) occurred prior to your time as a leader. Your responsibility is to ensure this doesn’t happen to those who you oversee. There are at most three elements that contribute to bullying. Knowing the ingredients and having safeguards in place to ensure that they are taken care of will make your team function more efficiently.
The employee feels that they must gain ‘One-Up’ on the teammate.
What makes an employee feel they have to be ‘one ahead’ of one another? They may feel this in the case of being unsure about their work and their abilities or even their status within the team. There is the possibility that people who bully simply because they’re just angry people. We’ll discuss this in the next part of this article. But for now, how do you, as a leader of your team, do to help? It is essential to provide assurances whenever you can regarding your team member’s capabilities as well as their abilities and their standing. If you think they might require assistance with any of these issues, you aid them in working on these areas. Don’t encourage anxiety by engaging in negative, sarcastic, or being otherwise disrespectful. It’s likely that whatever you do will be emulated by your team members. Should you not wish for your team members to be rude or rude towards one another, then you, dear leader of the team, don’t model this behaviour.
There are no explicit policies against bullying.
Anti-harassment policies are currently widely used in the majority of workplaces. However, what isn’t usual is policies that define these harassing behaviours as actions that be covered under the harassment policy. I know that the members of the Human Resource office may not wish to come up with an extensive list of actions that are considered to be harassment. One thing that is feasible, however, is to develop a more precise language that summarizes the behaviour described above.
The definition of bullying is viewed as any behaviour that reflects disrespect for employees. Who decides if this happens? It is your manager, team leader or supervisor. If you notice that this is happening to your team and you are concerned about it, then do something for a stop. This brings us to the third element that can be successful in stopping bullying in the workplace.
Employees believe they can get Through bullying.
It’s a well-known fact in law enforcement that is something like this: the most convenient to target is the most likely to be struck. If bullies are considering who they’ll choose to target, they select the individual or persons who are most easily targeted; possibly those who are the most friendly, most well-known and most ineffective at defending their own against bullying. They pick these people because they don’t seem to have the skills to protect themselves. Even when an employee tries to discuss it, bullies are likely to claim that the person is taking things in the wrong way or is “overly sensitive.’
The role of supervisors in such situations is to support the person being identified as being overly sensitive.’ This is because any person who feels threatened is someone who must be heard. It’s a fact, my dear. If someone on your team feels that they are being bullied, it is your responsibility to deal with the issue. People who think they can’t cover up the fact that they are as being too sensitive can stop their behaviour and are subject to discipline.
As we mentioned before, there are times when people are simply mean. They aren’t even sure why they do what they do apart from the fact that they enjoy it. Do it. Similar to those in the last category, those who are bullies will continue to behave this way until they are no longer allowed to do it. It is possible that you don’t want to discuss it with your manager. You might wish it wasn’t something you had to address; however, if it’s happening, you must address it. Take it on or let your team’s effectiveness decrease than it could otherwise be, and, at the same time losing respect from teammates because you didn’t stop it. You have the option. As an administrator, you must be aware of the steps you can take to correct this type of behaviour. Always consult with your Human Resource contact and your personal manager to ensure you’re taking the correct steps.
To be precise that bullying is not acceptable in the workplace. As with any behaviour which isn’t permitted in the workplace, There are standard procedures to take to ensure that things are running as they ought to. The general rule is to be aware, to keep track and respond when required. If you are aware of the effects that bullying can have, and making sure it is not a part of your workplace, and you’ll have an improved, healthier team.
