Most people think of bullies as a playground issue for schoolchildren. Adult bullying in the workplace, however, can be extremely harmful to its victims—even more so than sexual harassment—and it may be far more common than most people realize, according to new research.
Business researchers Sandy Hershcovis of the University of Manitoba and Julian Barling of Queen’s University in Ontario combined and analyzed 111 studies on workplace social dynamics. They discovered that as compared with workers who have experienced sexual harassment, victims of bullying report feeling angrier and more stressed at work—and are more likely to quit their job.
Workplace bullying, which includes ostracizing co-workers, spreading office gossip, and insulting people about their job performance or private life, is also more prevalent than sexual harassment. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI), a nonprofit organization that advocates for victims’ rights, 37 percent of U.S. employees have been bullied at their job, as opposed to 8 to 10 percent who have been sexually harassed.
Psychologist Gary Namie, director of the WBI, thinks the lack of legal consequences is one reason bullying causes more harm than sexual harassment does—its victims often suffer without receiving much help or sympathy. “Bullying situations are minimized as ‘mere personality conflicts,’ and targets feel delegitimized,” Namie says. Hershcovis thinks the simplest solution is for companies to take things into their own hands: “Implementing [company] policy and enforcing it is the best way” to stop bullying, she says.
This story was originally printed with the title, "The Cubicle Bully".
This article was originally published with the title The Cubicle Bully.
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9 Comments
Add CommentImplementing [company] policy and enforcing it is the best way to stop bullying, she says.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhich might work but for the last odd 12 million years or so of evolution.
What recourse does the employee have when the bully or bullies are managers? Despite excellent HR policies, management covers management when Business Conduct Guidelines are violated.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisApparently the US Supreme Court ruled earlier this week (ending 30 May 2008) that workers are protected against age or racial discrimination from employers. In my mind, these are types of management bullies' methods, whether by individual initiative or silent company policy.
For the individual worker though, the healthier strategy is probably to smile and quietly look for work elsewhere without letting the bully or bullies know, than to pull a Bob Marley and stand up for your rights. The sweetness of vindication is not certain, might be a long time coming, and may not be worth the pain and suffering, possible loss of income, and blocked career growth that has a high probability of occurring.
Get out, then blow the whistle.
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Edited by Bob-pcz49 at 05/30/2008 3:31 PM
The biggest bullies in the workplace are the managers who seem to think that mistreatment of employees is their job. The lower the pay rate, the more frequently this occurs. In many companies, it is practically universal. I have often wondered why sexual harrasment has been singled out for legal remediation when other forms of employee abuse remain almost completely unrecognized. Whether such abuse is sexual or not, it does not belong in the courts. It should be a matter of employee barganing power. The key to solving the problem is the deliberate creation of a labor shortage. Employees who are in demand have options. Those not in demand must tolerate the abuse.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this37%, incredible, wow, that is a lot of employees who admit to being bullied in the workplace by other adults.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe need laws against regular ole bullying, not just sexual or racial. People need to stand up and speak out and risk losing their job, or sit there and take it. What a great choice, huh? Managers can be bully enablers, especially when they allow, through sheer ignorance or otherwise, invalid and unmeasurable comments on employees evaluations, when they have already been alienated in every way possible by the bully on a daily basis. That is enough to make most caring employees reach out in an effort to save their job but in turn causes you to lose it for going out of their chain of command, therefore breaking policy. Shhh, corp. secret bully strategy, probably. Dont get trapped, people. This job may not be worthy of your excellence! Move on, the best way you can for yourself before you are hurt too badly.
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Edited by H2O~XX at 05/30/2008 7:10 AM
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Edited by H2O~XX at 05/30/2008 7:40 AM
....and interestingly, according to the Namies' research, women bully in significant numbers - particularly when the "target" is another woman. Gary Namie and his wife/business partner refer to this as "mobbing".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI found the article interesting because I have seen it in extremes.I worked in an old union factory where the workers ran the shop and I saw animalistic
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiscruelty almost daily.Then I worked at an international company that has a zero tolerance policy which the women turned into a game to get men fired
by tricking them into raising their voice twice when asking to clairify training instructions.
Organizations empower bully bosses and some even go further by rewarding the bully with promotions, perks, accolades. The truth is the bully boss could not exist in the workplace without the leadership condoning the behavior. There are many reasons why the bully boss exists, why the organizations ignore the behavior and why bully bosses target certain individuals. To fully understand all of the above would be feudal and never resolve the issue. Instead of focusing on the why's, focus needs to be brought upon whose responsible for the damaged target, and which entity should enforce the criminal behavior of intentional infliction of harm on a target. The book How Organizations Empower Bully Bosses: A criminal in the workplace found on Amazon.com, addresses these and more issues. Foremost, this book addresses how to survive and deal with protecting your job and stay sane! http://dorightatwork.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyes we have to devise a criterion to identify the bully behaviour in managers vis a vis their non bully behaviour. This is so because what they do some times is bullish and some times not.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIm an Asian female and I was bullied because I blew a whistle on sexual harrasment and racial jokes. Unfortunately, Management were on the bully side and claimed it was freedom of speech. Where do I had a nervous breakdown and had to see phsychologist for the very first time in my life. I wasn't regret to lose a job. I was being nice about it to not have anyone lose theirs. My only regret was I could have put that man in jail and press charges on him. I am haunted and traumatized to work for American companies to this day. I felt alone and nowhere to turn to seek legal help. But I believe God will see their wrongdoing and hopefully what comes around goes around.
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