What is workplace bullying?
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Workplace bullying involves the repeated actions of an individual or group directed toward an employee or a group of employees that are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate or undermine, and often involves an abuse or misuse of power, according to a report by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
Workplace bullying can also arise from an organization’s culture: Corporate or institutional bullying occurs when bullying becomes accepted as part of the workplace culture and is entrenched in the organization, according to the report.
Bullying can include placing unreasonable expectations on employees, dismissing employees suffering from stress while ignoring or denying the potential work-related causes, and encouraging employees to fabricate complaints about colleagues with threats of discipline or promises of promotion, the report says.
To address bullying, employers should create a “zero tolerance” anti-bullying policy that has the support of top management, according to the report.
When workers report bullying, employers should investigate promptly, management should be actively involved with their staff and not be far removed, and employers should establish an independent contact for employees, according to the report.
In addition, employers should create a code of conduct that defines professional behaviors and unacceptable behaviors and employees should sign a statement of commitment to abide by the code of conduct, the department said.
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