Workplace bullying is a very real problem. People like you and me deal with the brutal effects of psychological mistreatment every day.  Someone recently asked the following, very important question. It is important to share the question and my answer to TPG Blog readers.

Question

I have some questions on workplace bullying.  From the websites and advice given by many advocates, the victim is told to leave his/her job if things don’t improve. Why?  It would seem there is an inequity here.  The victim is punished financially for being victimized by his/her coworker. What legislation has been introduced (and not passed) that protects a victim’s rights?

Answer

Dear Friend, thank you for your questions. Allow me to respond based on my actual experiences and research.

Bullying is Legal: It is perfectly legal to bully employees in the United States as long as it is not racial or sexual based discrimination.  It is not illegal to be a jerk in the office.  In fact, in some business environments, tyrants tend to be rewarded for their behavior although it has been proven their behavior is destructive, not productive.

What should I do? One might think going to Human Resources would help you resolve the problem.  In most cases the bully has political power and influence and Human Resources has overwhelming sided with bullies and management, rather than the target of abuse.  HR will likely turn their back on targets unless the abuse is tied to illegal discrimination.

Why should I consider resigning? The long-term effects on bullying targets are treacherous.  Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, gastrointestinal disease, headaches, autoimmune diseases, and the list goes on.  In addition, the target can have a difficult time working a full-time job after prolonged exposure to the psychological mistreatment at work.  Many times the best thing for the employee is to put themselves first and resign.

Confronting the bully: No doubt the target should confront the bully before resigning from their position.  It helps to bring someone with you during the confrontation.  You need to tell the bully you will not stand for further behavior that is unacceptable.  If the bully tries to attack you verbally, simply walk away and tell them you do not have to be subjected to this behavior.  If he/she stops future bullying, that is great.  If not, you probably should find another job if you can.

Resources: Besides the resources on my website, I highly recommend you read the book, “The Bully at Work” by Dr. Gary Namie, a good friend and absolute expert on the topic.  His website is also full of useful information.  http://bullyinginstitute.org

Legislation: The Workplace Bullying Institute keeps track of this information.  There are currently 12 states that have introduced legislation to prevent workplace bullying.  http://workplacebullyinglaw.org

Mrs. Searcy, my eighth grade social studies teacher, was really mad at me.  The Madison Junior High School teacher was lecturing about writing on our desks, a significant problem at the time. Because students were writing on their desks, she was laying down the law.  I suppose the offense was right up there with cutting class, loitering in the halls and smoking in the bathroom. It was the 1970’s.

In response to her Do Not Write on the Desk lecture, I took my pencil and wrote on my desk, “Do not write on this desk!” – about 25 times.  I was just being funny.  However, when Mrs. Searcy strolled down my aisle she didn’t see the humor in my message.

Since I apparently enjoyed writing that phrase, Mrs. Searcy proceeded to assign homework as an object lesson.  That evening I was required to write “Do not write on this desk” 500 times and return the assignment the next day.  My writing hand felt like an out of shape and overweight middle aged man trying to play football: cramped, injured and lifeless.  I wrote that phrase 500 excruciating times while watching the Six Million Dollar Man and Charlie’s Angels.

Moral of the Story

What’s the moral of this story? When you focus on telling people what they can’t do, be prepared for the results: One or more individuals just might try it.

When human resource professionals develop policy manuals, the tendency is to focus on the negatives; what not to do. The human response is to test boundaries.  I have found discussing the positives of employment rather than the negatives to be much more effective in creating a great working environment.

Galveston’s Flagship Hotel

Consider the case of the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, Texas.  This pier based hotel, constructed in the 1960’s, stretches 1,000 feet out to sea, capturing a panoramic view.  Since the balconies were directly above the ocean, management decided to place signs in the room stating, “Do Not Fish on Balcony.”

When the hotel was completed and ready to open, guess what started to happen?  Guests began to fish off their balconies.  Hotel guests would tie large lead weights to their fishing line to reach the ocean floor several stories below.  Some guests would cast their line and miss the ocean altogether and the line would swing back towards the hotel, along with the heavy lead weights.  Unfortunately, there were large picture windows on the first floor dining room and hotel management had to replace a number of broken windows. The crashing sound of windows breaking was a common occurrence to dining room guests.

The Solution

After evaluating their predicament, management wisely decided to remove all the “Do not fish on balcony” signs. This immediately resolved the problem of guests fishing on the balcony.  It turns out guests did not even think about fishing until they read the sign.

When developing or updating your company policies, consider this lesson.  Develop policies from a positive perspective and see if your negative workplace issues are self-induced.

Are you dealing with a bully at work? You are not alone. More than 37 percent of workers are also in the same situation.

One of the most effective actions you can take is to call out the bully.  Once you look at the reality of the situation, it allows you to identify and properly name the mistreatment occurring at work.  Work should not hurt.  Name it and confront it.

Your inclination will be to tough it out, think you are the problem and try to perform your way out of the bullying situation. However, workplace psychopaths don’t play by the rules.  Long-term exposure to bullying is harmful to your health and typically leads to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a host of other medical issues.  Unfortunately, bullying is legal in the United States.

The following BNET video is a terrific resource to help you understand the importance of acknowledging the situation.

Video: Calling a Bully a Bully

Supervisors who freak-out when employees use the Internet at work for non-work reasons should breathe a little easier.  A new study published by the University of Melbourne, Australia, shows employees who engage in WILB (workplace internet leisure browsing) are 9% more productive than their non-surfing counterparts.

The research study’s media release identifies that employees need time to periodically zone-out in order to allow their mind to return to a higher level of concentration.  Leisurely surfing activities, in moderation of course, allows workers to be more productive.  All of us need to get away from our desk, walk around, and take a break.  Evidently, our mind needs time to play as well.

“Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos on YouTube, using social networking sites like Facebook or shopping online under the pretense that it costs millions in lost productivity, however that’s not always the case,” said Dr. Brent Coker, from the University’s Department of Management and Marketing.

According to an article published on Wired.com, the research has turned viral and is spreading across offices worldwide due to employee interest.

If this research proves to be correct (and I have my doubts), it should further motivate leaders to consider becoming more flexible with sites like Facebook and Twitter, restricted web addresses for many corporate employees.

Flexibility with technological usage, telecommuting, and other  workplace productivity issues, need to be revisited in many organizations to encourage a more results-only work environment based on trust and respect.  The technological workplace is changing and a great number of managers need to adapt their leadership skills to promote optimum productivity.  Socializing in moderation, whether it’s in the hallway or the information superhighway, should rule the day.

Maybe all work and no play really does make for a dull employee.

Tulsa, OK, April 2, 2009 –Tulsa’s Top Talent is a networking support group that will provide information and address questions for those seeking employment. This encounter is designed for displaced professional, management, and executive professionals.

The second gathering is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2009 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am at the Training Center of Tulsa Technology Center’s, Lemley Campus, located at 3638 South Memorial.

Kevin Kennemer, the founder and president of The People Group, will be discussing using social
networking and networking tools such as LinkedIn®, facebook®, twitter® in a successful job search.

If you have any questions, my contact information is listed below. Please help spread the word about
Tulsa’s Top Talent.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 led to the creation of the Tulsa Area Workforce Investment Board (Workforce Tulsa). Workforce Tulsa has the legislative charter to create workforce development policy, oversee the workforce development system, coordinate workforce development resources and convene workforce development partners for its local region, including Tulsa, Pawnee, Creek and Osage counties.

For additional information, please contact Chad Bowers at (918)796-1282.

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