Delegates Bullying Fact Sheets - Bullying Factsheet 02 - What Is Workplace Bullying?

No one works at their best if they feel hurt, angry, vulnerable or powerless.

Bullying at work is a problem which is only just beginning to be recognised as one of the main causes of workplace stress. Bullying is a form of psychological or physical harassment and women and men at all levels of employment can be affected by it. The bully can be a manager, a supervisor or a co-worker.

A bully is a person who uses strength or power to coerce others by fear. Workplace bullying exists in various forms. It involves behaviour that intimidates, degrades or humiliates an employee (sometimes in front of other people).

Sometimes the behaviour may be subtle and not easily observed by other people. It may include verbal abuse, behaviour which is intended to punish, constant 'put-downs', aggression, and poorly managed conflicts of opinion or 'personality clashes'. Inappropriate comments about personal appearance and persistent, unreasonable criticism of work performance are also common. Assault, both physical and threatened, can be a factor. Physical assault is a criminal offence and should be reported to the police immediately.

Some examples of high-risk situations.

Workplace restructuring, staff reduction, or reorganisation involving significant increases in workloads.

Implementation of unrealistic production targets or performance demands.

Employment of new staff, particularly young adults, or promotion of an existing staff member.

Case Study One: An electrician

J. lives in a small country town and works on the railways. J's supervisor constantly criticised his work. He swore at him, tried to turn his mates against him and exclude him from social events. J. put up with this for several years. He finally asked for a transfer to another town to work, to have some peace. The supervisor refused. J. finally approached the senior manager, who acknowledged the problem but did nothing about it. J. became quite sick as a result of the ceaseless bullying and finally won a workers compensation claim.

Case Study Two: A Bankworker

When J. questioned a previous departmental decision, her manager told her she was free to leave at any time. When she indicated she had no wish to leave, he looked at her with contempt and told her she might later regret the decision.

Types of Bullying Behaviour

Examples of bullying behaviour could include:

• Initiation or 'bastardisation' rituals.

• Encouragement of other staff to 'harass' an individual.

• Constant and intrusive surveillance or monitoring.

• Inappropriate use of industrial laws and awards e.g. required to miss meal breaks;required to work hours in excess of safety recommendations.

• Social isolation of an individual e.g. ignoring them; being cold towards them; being distant.

• Constant innuendo: ridicule; sarcasm; repeated jokes; unpleasant comments; gossip; rumour.

• Verbal abuse: shouting, yelling, screaming at an individual; offensive ditties; chants.

• Visual abuse: graffiti; placing offensive materials at workstation; removal and/or defacing personal effects; adopting a threatening manner e.g. finger pointing; fist shaking; hostile facial expressions.

• Physical abuse: unwanted physical contact; damage to individual's property; offensive letters, phone calls, faxes or emails.

• Threat of and/or inappropriate performance reviews.

• Unfair monitoring of work performances.

• Constant, unjustified, unreasonable criticism of work.

• An individual being set up for failure by: imposition of impossible deadlines; being overworked; removal of responsibility; assigned meaningless tasks; aspects of job change with no consultation.

• Promotion prospects blocked without justification.

• Withholding and/or the non-distribution of information.

• Unreasonable blocks to training and professional development.

• Peer isolation by setting out to make an individual: look incompetent; not think for themselves; incapable of making a decision and become a non-entity at a meeting by continually talking over them or dismissing their contributions.

If you observe or are the recipient of one or more of these behaviours contact your union office for advice.

Download more info:
Bullying Factsheet 02 - What Is Workplace Bullying? (doc File) [ Get a player/reader for this file here ]

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