Workplace Bullies

In most cases, the purpose of bullying is to hide inadequacy and to reduce fear of being seen as “weak.” The unwelcome behavior of a bully isn’t something that is restricted to the playground. The truth is, Bullies come in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders and races. Understanding how and why bullies bully is key to effective action. Whether you are a victim or you can see bullying going on around you it’s important to be able to identify it.

“Bullying is obsessive and compulsive; the serial bully has to have someone to bully and appears to be unable to survive without a current target.” –bullyonline.org

BullyOnline.org has given the following names to workplace bullies…

Pressure bullying - where the stress of the moment causes behavior to deteriorate; the person becomes short-tempered, irritable and may shout or swear at others.

Corporate bullying - where the employer abuses employees with impunity knowing that the law is weak and jobs are scarce. This type does things like…

•    Introduces "absence management" to deny employees annual or sick leave to which they are genuinely entitled

•    Regularly snoops and spies on employees. For example, by listening in on telephone conversations, using the mystery shopper, contacting customers behind employees backs and asking leading questions, conducting covert video, calling/messaging employee's home to interrogate the employees whilst on sick leave, or threatening employees with interrogation the moment they return from sick leave, etc.

•    Deems any employee suffering from stress as weak and inadequate whilst aggressively ignoring and denying the cause of stress (bad management and bullying)

•    "Encourages" employees to fabricate complaints about their colleagues

Client bullying - where employees are bullied by those they serve. For example: teachers by pupils and their parents, nurses by patients and their relatives, social workers by their clients, and office societies by customers. Often the client is claiming their perceived right in an abusive, derogatory and violent manner.

In environments where bullying is the norm, most people will either become bullies or become targets. What will you do? Stand up against bullying. Recognize the signs and talk to someone in your HR department.