Have you been publicly humiliated by a boss or coworker?
Have you been the target of malicious rumors at work?
Have you been ostracized at work?
Have you received unreasonable project deadlines?
If you answered "yes" to these questions, you are experiencing some forms of workplace bullying. I recently completed research in which I asked 286 men and women in Canada and the US to respond to these questions. 44% of respondents indicated that they had been publicly humiliated by a boss or coworker. 25% of respondents were the targets of malicious rumors. 30% reported being ostracized in the workplace and 20% of respondents said they'd received unreasonable deadlines.
At first you make think that these acts are harmless, however, if a person is subjected to them over an extended period of time, they can become quite harmful. Individuals who resort to such acts are psychologically harassing others. They are slowly trying to chip away at the employees' confidence, self-esteem and overall wellbeing. In doing so, the harasser is able to unleash his or her wrath upon unsuspecting victims and the victims are left feeling confused and helpless.
Psychological harassment or workplace bullying can have a devastating effect on employees who find themselves as the target of this abusive behavior. Unfortunately, some individuals become so distraught, they feel the only way out of their suffering is by suicide. Suicide is not the answer. Workplace bullies need to be held accountable for their actions. Organizations that choose to ignore the issue of workplace bullying need to be held responsible. That is why it is so very important for anti-psychological harassment laws to be passed. Employees need to be protected from the bullies who are roaming the halls of our organizations and who are wreaking havoc in millions of lives. The time has come for us to put forth a united effort to stop workplace bullying.
My soon-to-be released book "In Darkness Light Dawns: Exposing Workplace Bullying.", provides valuable insights about workplace bullying and recommendations for how to stop workplace bullying. The book will be available mid-September.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Are there any groups that are fighting to force companies, To aknowlage and deal with bullying in the workplace?
Bulling in the workplace is a serious issue. It can leave an employee helpless and powerless. It eats away at your self-esteem like a cancer. Employees that are being bullyed by individuals in management have few options. Fighting back will most likely get you terminated, transferred to another department or repremanded. Bullies with managment positions, often have support systems within upper management, where they can run to, and cover their asses. Bullies use their power and positions to breakdown an employee, leaving the employee with a great deal of stress and anxiety. I believe that bullying is the centerpoint for violence within the workplace. Management would rather stick their head in the sand, than to aknowlage that there is a severe problem within the company that must be addressed. In my opinion companies that refuse to deal with the issue of bullying, only gives the bully the green light to continue in this distructive behavior. Putting an end to bulling in the workplace is long overdue. Its time to fight back and fight hard.
Post a Comment