Beyond the Schoolyard: Workplace Bullying
Not only do workplace bullies hurt people, they can also hurt business – driving away good employees in their quest for control. What can you do if you find yourself having to face a bully every day?
Not All That Different …
Schoolyard bullies vs. workplace bullies
Both share a need for control – exercising power through humiliation of a target. If reinforced by cheering kids, fearful teachers or ignoring administrators, there is no reason to change and it often continues into adulthood. (1)
What Is a Workplace Bully?
Characteristics of a workplace bully: (2)
- Tormenters
- Tattlers
- Finger pointers
- Publicly pick on people
- CC the whole world in emails
- Point out your mistakes and tell everyone
Narcissism and self-orientation
What workplace bullies usually score high on in personality tests (3)
Bullying Victims
How many workers are dealing with bullies?
50%
Workers who say they’re treated rudely at least once a week (in 2011); up from 25% in 1998 (4)
66%
Bullying victims who had to lose or give up their jobs to make the bullying stop (1)
40% of workplace bullies are women, picking on other women more than 70% of the time. (5)
How Bullying Can Hurt Your Business
Work is stressful enough on its own, but adding a bully to the mix can make it unbearable.
9% of people say they’re happy at the office. (3)
Less than 1/3
Employees who say they’re engaged at work (3)
Workplace bullying can have serious negative effects on employees, such as: (6)
- Stress
- Absenteeism and low productivity
- Lowered self-esteem and depression
- Anxiety
- Digestive upset
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Trouble with relationships due to stress over work
All of this can hit the company’s bottom line, causing: (6)
- High turnover
- Low productivity
- Lost innovations
- Difficulty hiring quality employees due a “hostile work environment” reputation
Got a Bully? Here’s How to Deal
Avoid the workplace in the first place (1)
- Ask why the job is open and how long the predecessor was there (turnover is a bullying sign)
- Ask about the attitude toward “workaholics.” If it’s expected, then you can know what you’re getting into
- Ask about policies and codes that help ensure a respectful workplace
Once you encounter a bully (5)
- Don’t get emotional (bullies like that)
- Don’t blame yourself (the problem is the bully, not you)
- Do your best work
- Build a support network
- Document everything
- Seek help
- Get counseling
- Stay healthy
- Educate yourself about policies
- Don’t expect to change the bully
- Start a new job search
25% of workplace bullying deals with discrimination. If that’s the case, you can talk to an attorney. (7)
Don’t hire a bully
Recognize certain traits in an interview process: They usually interview well due to a desire to control the situation. Invite them to an informal lunch and see if they’re empathetic (good) or brag about “cracking the whip” (bad). (8)
Sources:
1. http://www.workplacebullying.org
2. http://www.forbes.com
3. http://www.usatoday.com
4. http://hbr.org
5. http://www.huffingtonpost.com
6. http://www.bullyingstatistics.org
7. http://www.ivillage.com
8. http://www.ere.net