Assess Your Workplace

It is not unusual for workplace bullying to be minimized as “office politics” and for targets to be blamed for “not playing the game.” Office politics and game playing are all too common in many workplaces, but to view workplace bullying on this level is equivalent to comparing domestic violence to “family squabbles.” In reality, workplace bullying is psychological aggression and it usually causes moderate to severe psychological and emotional problems for individuals who are subjected to it for more than six months. Targeted individuals often endure a systematic and coordinated campaign of harassment and abuse that eventually discredits their work performance, isolates them in their work environment, and destroys positive relationships with their coworkers. Targets work under these conditions for an average of 18 months before most (77%) are forced out of their jobs. A lack of knowledge about workplace bullying and a belief in their ability to solve their own problems contributes to targets staying in hostile work environments for too long.

If your workplace is stressful not because of the work that you do, but because of the interpersonal climate in which you do it, it may be useful for you to assess your situation and determine whether difficult relationships are simply “office politics” or if they lie further along the spectrum towards workplace bullying. Many individuals who have suffered from the impacts of workplace bullying are amazed to discover that there is a name for what they have endured. They have also discovered that there is tremendous relief to be found through the information that is available. Here at Square Peg Psychological, we have designed the following questions to guide you to helpful resources that are devoted to this topic. We encourage you to explore the links provided here as well as those available on other sites to broaden your understanding of workplace bullying. The information you find may help you make decisions about your own situation.

What informational resources are available on the web?

Plenty. Entering “workplace bullying” in any search engine will provide you with numerous websites to peruse and books and articles to read. One of the most comprehensive websites has been created by Drs. Gary and Ruth Namie, the US pioneers in workplace bullying research. This link to their website, www.bullyinginstitute.org/starthere.html, is a good starting place for individuals who are new to this arena.

What is workplace bullying?

To view a video describing workplace bullying, click on the following link:
www.workplacebullying.org/press/bnet1108.html

Many websites describe workplace bullying. Here are a few examples:
www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Files/Bullying.pdf
www.bullyinginstitute.org/education/bbstudies/def.html
www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bully.htm
www.fedsmith.com/article/1780/

How is a ‘workplace bully” identified? What are the characteristics?

Research on bullying has not clearly established the characteristic traits of a
workplace bully. However, there is a considerable degree of agreement as to typical
strategies and behaviors used to bully individuals at work. The following resources
provide a thorough description of these behaviors:
www.bullyinginstitute.org/research/res/surv2000a1.html
www.admin.mtu.edu/aao/bullying04.pdf
www.workrelationships.com/site/articles/workplacebully.htm
www.bullyinginstitute.org/education/bbstudies/bullytypes.html

Why are bullies tolerated in the workplace?

Bullying is not illegal. If it can be shown that the recipient of psychological
aggression was targeted because of his or her race, gender, or disability status, or
because they served as a “whistleblower,” then the target may have grounds to file
legal complaints. Otherwise, there are no legal protections against workplace
bullying, regardless of how egregious the bully’s behavior may be. Furthermore,
“at will” employment laws protect employers from disclosing and defending their
organizational practices when employees challenge decisions related to disciplinary
actions or termination of employment.

Workplace bullying research is not widely known. Targets of workplace
bullying tend to feel amazed and relieved when they discover that their experience
has a name. Unfortunately, targets are not alone in their ignorance of the
phenomenon and its destructive impact. Both management and peers can easily
mislabel abuse as “a personality clash.” When it becomes evident that one
employee has been singled out for mistreatment, it is typical for witnesses to
“blame the victim” by assuming that he or she somehow deserves the
treatment received.

Conflict is aversive. It is often easier to minimize, dismiss, and deny problems
than solve them. Witnesses to bullying may prefer to distance themselves from
conflict rather than support targets. Laissez-faire managers allow bullies to
thrive by refusing to intervene when they become aware of complaints, especially if
productivity levels are satisfactory.

Aggression is rewarded. Aggressive management practices are often seen as
prerequisite skills in highly competitive business fields. Psychologically aggressive
behavior is often excused in the name of productivity and “the bottom line.”
Authoritarian management styles may breed fear among employees thereby
encouraging silence when witnesses observe abuse. In hierarchical organizations,
bullying supervisors may be protected by loyal peers.

For more information, contact Dr. Denise López Haugen at:

503-723-5053

or

drhaugen@squarepegpsychological.com