Bullies a Hazard in Today's Workplace's
Leaving the Sandbox Behind: Bullies Now Target Canada's Workplaces
Jul 31, 2008
Bullying in the workplace can take many forms. Like their schoolyard counterparts, workplace bullies act in a number of ways to target their victims: ostracism, excessive criticism, removal of key duties and responsibilities, engaging co-workers to target the worker in a negative ‘campaign’ against them, denying the worker access to benefits and privileges afforded other workers, as well as not giving the worker credit for any of his or her accomplishments.
Bullying begins with the odd remark, question or allegation, while testing the victim’s reaction, gradually increasing into a full mobbing pattern. Workers who are mobbed experience an all out persistent and progressive campaign to diminish their value and presence in the workplace, as well as continuous harassment with the intent to either remove the person or push the person out of their position.
According the Workplace Bullying Institute, targets are chosen by bullies because they are conscientious workers, ethical and stand their ground. They are also quite competent, which makes bullies worried that their own level of incompetency or questionable ethics will be exposed. In many such workplaces, there is typically serial bullying, whereas after the one target is removed, the bully will soon find another one.
According to a 2007 survey conducted by the Institute, 37% of U.S. workers felt they have experienced workplace bullying. In 62% of the cases, employers did little to stop it. Almost three quarters of the workplace bullies were supervisors and managers, although there have been cases where co-workers and even subordinates will be the initiator. Unfortunately, targets of bullies are the usually ones that end up paying the price. In this survey, it was found that 77% of targets left their jobs or were terminated from their positions, while the bully was kept in place or even promoted.
An article in the September 24, 2004, Canadian Business magazine, cited organizational consultant Marji Burdine, who stated that bullying in the Canadian workforce costs employers and society at least $24 billion a year in finding and training replacements, disability claims, legal costs as well as decreased productivity. Injuries suffered by targets are stress-related, psychological-emotional and economic. Over 80% of targets have suffered multiple and numerous psychological issues simulating a post-traumatic stress disorder, which increases health care and disability costs.
One would believe human rights legislation would provide protection against this type of harassment; unfortunately, most of this harassment falls outside the purview of typical human rights cases. Research done by the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health found that more than 60% of harassment reported fell completely outside of human rights legislation.
In Canada, Quebec and Saskatchewan are the only provinces to formally legislate against workplace bullying and provide targets with a direct procedure to seek redress. In Quebec, its Labour Standards Act was amended to include psychological harassment at work as an offence. As the topic of workplace bullying becomes recognized as unacceptable in any workplace, there will be more movement to force bullies to accept personal responsibility for their actions, as well as bring about more programs and services to aid targets in returning to the labour force.
