Workplace bullying is an epidemic. According to the WBI survey:
- 37% of American workers, an estimated 54 million people, have been bullied at work.
- Bullying is four times more prevalent than illegal forms of harassment.
- Most bullies—72%—are bosses (the stereotype is real).
- Women are targeted by bullies more frequently (in 57% of cases), especially by other women (in 71% of cases).
- Bullying is a health hazard. For 45% of bullied targets, stress affects their health.
- 77% of the targets of bullying lose their jobs through firing, resignation, or transfer.
What should you be doing about bullying? In most states, there is no law on the topic (in 13 states, there is). But even if you are not required to act, it’s wise to consider an antibullying policy because:
- A bullying atmosphere is not conducive to productivity and good morale.
- Bullying can often escalate to violence.
- Bullying may be harassment if the bullied party is a member of a protected group.
- Employers have an obligation to provide a safe workplace.
Where to Start
It’s hard to know where to begin, but here’s a six-step approach recommended by the Job Corps SafetyNet program:
Step 1. Collect and assess data. Before you go full steam ahead with a bullying-prevention program and related policies, you must first assess the problem. The following tools can be utilized to determine the scope of bullying at your workplace:
- Employee survey
- Focus groups
- Safety self-assessment
- Incident reports for bullying, hazing, and/or assault
Step 2. State your position on bullying. This sentence or short paragraph should answer the following questions:
- Why is there a need for an antibullying policy?
- Who does the policy protect?
- Are there any applicable state laws?
Step 3. Define bullying. There are many definitions of bullying available. One possible definition:
- Aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength;
- Intentional, repeated hurtful acts, words or other behavior, such as name calling, threatening and/or shunning committed by one or more persons against another; or
- Aggressive or intimidating behavior that is not provoked by the target or targets.
Some employers broaden their definitions to include harassment and hazing. Harassment usually describes an act that is based on someone’s religion, gender, race, country of origin, or sexual orientation. Hazing is often used to initiate someone into a group. Bullying is not necessarily based on an individual characteristic and is not used as a bonding activity. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength and is meant to exclude someone.
After deciding on the technical definition, you may want to provide examples of bullying. For example: Bullying can take many forms, including rumors, jokes, slurs, pranks, gestures, purposefully excluding people from a group, threats, attacks, demeaning or threatening text messages, instant messages, or e-mails, or other written, oral, or physical actions.
Step 4. Outline the responsibilities and rights of management and employees. Outline clear and concise expectations.
For example: At XYZ, all employees are expected to treat others with respect and courtesy.
Step 5. Clarify consequences for bullying. Typically, this would mean consequences up to and including discharge.
Step 6. Address logistics. This might include:
- Available mechanisms for reporting bullying
- Clarification of who will handle reports and claims of bullying
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