We all knew schoolyard bullies, and, if we were lucky, they left us alone. The less fortunate, however, sometimes suffered devastating and long-term effects from bullying. Society has increased its focus on school bullying over the years. New challenges have also arisen, however, as bullying has moved into cyberspace with widespread impact. We continue to strive, however, to provide children with safe, healthy environments in which they can flourish and meet their full potential.
- Consider adopting a No Jerks rule for your workplace. While using more colorful language with which not everyone may be comfortable, Robert Suttons book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isnt, contains an interesting discussion of the many reasons to consider such a rule, as well as tips for addressing workplace bullying, some of which are discussed below.
- Adopt and, more importantly, enforce an anti-bullying policy that includes reporting and response procedures akin to those used for harassment. To avoid contract claims, however, policies should include contract disclaimers.
- Take steps to avoid hiring bullies in the first place, such as including the applicants potential managers, peers, and subordinates in the interview process. Studies indicate that many bullies focus on those with less power than them, so peers and subordinates may be better positioned to spot troubling behavior in interviews.
- Treat bullying as a performance problem. Dont reward or promote bullies, because this sends a message that bullying is accepted and not a bar to success. Instead, reform or get rid of bullies whenever possible. No matter how valuable an employee may seem, bullying behavior has real and significant financial costs that, if quantified, often outweigh the bullys perceived value to the company.
- Train your employees on the companys expectations regarding bullying. As suggested in Suttons book, you might also want to train your employees on how to engage in constructive, respectful confrontations and debates, rather than personal attacks.
- Use available resources, such as anger and management counseling and EAP programs.
- Most bullying does not turn violent, but bullying can be a precursor to violence by the bully or a target of bullying. Consider forming a threat assessment team to assess and address violence risks as they may arise.
PartnerMegan Anderson is an MSBA-certified employment and labor law specialist and proactively partners with businesses, non-profit organizations, and higher education institutions to ensure employment law compliance and prevent ...
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