Addressing Bullying in the Workplace

Very rarely do I meet a leader who doesn’t care about bullying happening on their watch.  Most of the leaders I work with sincerely care about providing a healthy and safe workplace environment for everyone and yet bullying continues to be a serious issue in far too many workplaces.  

Creating an environment that discourages bullying involves proactive leadership and a commitment to fostering a respectful workplace culture. This includes training managers and team members to recognize and respond to inappropriate behaviors.   

In a moment I’ll share with you what constitutes bullying and what doesn’t.  Before we get there however, its important that you understand that the intentions of the bullying are irrelevant in the eyes of the law.  In other words, regardless of the absence of malicious intent, behaviors that negatively affect the health and safety of others can still constitute bullying.   

What is Bullying? 

Bullying is defined as repeated, unreasonable behavior directed towards an individual or group that creates a risk to health and safety.   

In the context of defining bullying, "unreasonable behavior" typically refers to actions that a rational person would deem inappropriate, excessive or unwarranted under the circumstances. These are actions that go beyond what is considered acceptable or fair in the workplace and create a risk to health and safety. This includes behavior that is harsh, oppressive or out of proportion to the situation. 

A recent example of bullying I have investigated involved a Manager who repeatedly criticized a team member publicly, using harsh and unnecessary comments that contributed neither to performance improvement nor professional development.  I this case a reasonable person would have felt intimidated and humiliated by the Managers approach.  The Manager had reasonable cause to be frustrated but failed to have one to one conversations with the team member, but instead regularly singled them out during meetings to address their concerns.   

In another example, a team member was subjected to bullying by a group of colleagues who systematically excluded him from lunch outings and team meetings, spread malicious rumors about his personal life and work ethic and frequently interrupted or dismissed his contributions during discussions, creating a hostile and isolating work environment. 

Examples of bullying include: 

Derogatory Remarks: Repeatedly making derogatory comments or mocking someone’s work. 

Exclusion: Excluding someone from work-related activities without a valid reason. 

Psychological Harassment: Playing mind games or engaging in other forms of psychological abuse.  

Intimidation: Persistently intimidating, belittling or demeaning someone. 

Unreasonable Tasks: Assigning meaningless tasks or setting impossible deadlines unrelated to the job. 

What Bullying is Not 

It’s important to distinguish bullying from actions that might feel uncomfortable but are part of legitimate management practices. Bullying is not reasonable management actions carried out in a reasonable manner, such as setting realistic performance goals, discussing job performance issues or making operational decisions like rostering or transferring staff for legitimate reasons. 

Managerial Actions on Bullying Complaints 

When a bullying complaint is raised, take the following steps to ensure a fair, prompt and thorough response: 

Listen and Document: Take the complaint seriously from the outset. Listen empathetically, document all details and maintain confidentiality. 

Report and Investigate: Report the issue as per your organizational guidelines. Conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to gather all sides of the story. 

Take Action: Based on the evidence, take appropriate actions. This could range from mediation and counseling to disciplinary actions if the complaint is substantiated. 

Communicate: Keep all parties informed about the process and outcomes. Transparency helps in maintaining trust and ensuring all parties feel heard. 

Follow-Up: Monitor the situation post-resolution to prevent recurrence. Ensure that the victim does not suffer retaliation or victimization. 

Proactive Measures: Implement training and policies that help prevent bullying. Encourage a culture of respect and inclusion and lead by example. Regularly review workplace policies and practices to ensure they are effective and fair. 

Remember, a workplace where employees feel safe and respected is not only a legal obligation but a cornerstone of successful organizational performance.