Workplace Bullying Definition of Workplace Bullying Bullying at work is the repeated, health or career endangering mistreatment of one employee,

by one or more employees. The mistreatment is a form of psychological violence and is often a mix of verbal and strategic insults preventing the target from performing work well. Workplace Bullying I have worked for the railway for 32 years and in that time I have been fired 3 times and withheld from service for being unfit to work. I am presently dismissed and once again I feel that I have been bullied into submission. I ha... The problems of Workplace Bullying Litigation is not effective Few laws regarding it Difficulty in building the case Some bullies have the attitudes of so sue me due to the difficulties in building a case Employers can outspend and outlast lone plaintiffs Financial jeopardy for the target due to the high legal costs The payoff due to bulling wins are relatively low and often do not justify the costs of litigation

Poor support for the targets It is up to the person being bullied to address it on their own Many companies look for bulling amongst the workers, but most bullying actually comes from management

The cost of bullying

82% of targets feel they have to leave their jobs *The Bully at Work, Gary and Ruth Namie When employees voluntarily leave their job, 50% of them have done so due to issues with their supervisor Steps to solve bullying:

Understand the bully Chronic bullies people who identify that bullying is a part of their nature, and do not perceive a need to change their actions

Opportunist bullies competitive people who are interested in making career gains even though it may involve stepping on other people Accidental bullies bullying caused by social ineptness and lack of awareness. Substance abusing bullies people whose social interactions are impaired by their dependence on artificial stimulants

Identify the type of bullying Unrealistic job demands Unreasonable criticism Creating an inconsistent or unfair work environment Not giving credit where it is due Insults, putdowns, yelling, screaming, and other abusive behavior

Document the instances of bullying in detail Document specifics, time and date Identify allies Determine code violations

Determine a plan to resolve the bullying Request a meeting time where you can confront the bully in a professional setting Seek assistance from senior management. Seek third party mediation Seek legal advice Get medical attention Establish and protect boundaries Do not blame yourself Solicit witness statements Follow internal complaint processes

Communicate the problems with the bully or two levels of management higher than the bully Taking the bully on directly at work may have undesired or unpredictable consequences for the

target In many cases, the bully may be seen by management as getting the job done complaining about the bullying may draw repercussions against the target rather than the bully.