2. Definition
Bullying in the workplace is repeated
inappropriate behaviour conduced by
one or more persons against another or
others at the place or work and/or in the
course of employment and which could
reasonably be regarded as undermining
the individual’s right to dignity at work.
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
3. Repetitive behaviours
Hostile and unwanted
Affect the person’s dignity or
psychological integrity
Result in a harmful work environment
KEYS
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
4. What bullying is NOT
• Reasonable actions by an
employer to transfer,
demote, discipline, counsel,
retrench or dismiss an
employee
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
5. • A decision, based on reasonable
grounds, not to award or provide a
promotion, transfer, or benefit in
connection with an employee’s
employment
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
6. • Occasional differences of
opinion, and non-
aggressive conflicts and
problems in working
relations
• Workplace counseling,
managing under-
performance and other
action in accordance with
policy and procedures.
7. Can be
Direct or Indirect
Manager down, staff up,
peer to peer
Harmful intention or
merely a pervasive
style
9. Refusing reasonable requests when
granted to others
Sabotage, unwarranted or undeserved
punishment
Tampering with personal items, theft or
destruction of property
10. Indirect
Constant criticism with
proof of achievement
being ignored or
dismissed
Being ignored, isolated, left
out of office activities
Given impossible deadlines,
tasks, unmanageable
workload
11. Intimidation
Spying, stalking, calls at home
evenings or weekends
Assigning unpleasant tasks,
meaningless tasks outside of job
description
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
14. Scope and Impact
• Is Bullying a problem?
• Who does it impact?
• What is the impact?
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
15. One survey showed
• 28% lost work time avoiding the instigator.
• 53% lost work time worrying about the
incident or future interactions.
• 37% believed that their commitment to the
organization declined.
• 22% decreased their effort at work.
16. 10% decreased the amount of time
that they spent at work.
46% contemplated changing jobs to
avoid the instigator.
12% actually changed jobs to avoid
the instigator
17. Where does bullying happen?
Everywhere and anywhere
especially when there is :
Major organizational
change
The presence of minority
employees
18. • A history of condoned
bullying practices
• Poor interpersonal
relationships
• High demand for results
from Senior
Management
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
19. • A very hierarchical management
structure
• High pressure jobs where staff can
be seen as fairly expendable
• In very small businesses which fall
beneath the radar of union
involvement and have no policies
on bullying.
20. Scope
As many as 10% of suicides
may be related to
workplace traumatization
(Harvey, 2002).
81% of bullies are in
supervisory roles
58% of bullies are female
(Namie, 2003)
21. 84% of bullied employees are female
21% of all workers have been targeted by
bullies(Brunner & Costello, 2003; Namie,
2003)
Targets endure bullying for almost two years
before filing a complaint
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
22. 40% of Western workers
reported experiencing at
least 1 of 45 specific acts
indicative of
psychological harassment
or bullying on a weekly
basis for at least 6
months.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
23. • An additional 10% of the
sample reported
experiencing 5 or more
such acts on a weekly
basis for at least 6
months (Lee &
Brotheridge, 2005).
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
24. Only 13% of bullies are ever punished or
terminated
71% of bullies outrank their targets
The Workplace Bullying Institute states that
around "37% of U.S. workers reported being
bullied on the job, and 49% say they have
witnessed a bully in action.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
25. Results?
• Some will cut back on work
• Some will contemplate leaving the job. Only
10% do
• Take it out on innocent family or pets
26. • Others will steal from the job, sabotage
work, damage equipment, damage personal
property of the bully or
• Contemplate a violent act and carry it out
34. For the Target
For the Bystander(s)
For the Organization
For the Union
Strategies and
Responsibilities
35. Strategies For TargetsRecognize that you are being
bullied .
You may be a Target, but you
are not a Victim unless you
choose to be.
Nobody is going to save you.
Targets have a responsibility
to alert Management about
bullying behaviour.
36. Don’t take bullying personally.
Always focus on the unacceptable
behaviour rather than on the bully
him/herself.
Bullying actions follow a pattern.
Identify patterns and how often these
patterns reoccur.
37. Everything must be documented
(not on your work computer)
Establish boundaries. Be clear
about your boundaries by
saying something like, “stop
talking to me like that”, or
“don’t call me names”. Be clear
to the bully that the behaviour
is unacceptable.
38. If you are asked to cross a boundary
that violates your personal space, you
will need to assess whether or not this is
a healthy place for you to work.
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
39. Verbal Strategies
Ask the bully to stop the
specific unacceptable
behaviour.
a. “Stop yelling”.
b. “Stop using profanity
when you are talking
to me”
c. “Take your hand away
from my face”
40. Use the “Do Want-Don’t Want”
format. “I do want to get the job
done. I don’t want to be yelled
at.”
“I do want to get the job done
right. I don’t want to put in 75
hours a week in order to get it
done.”
“I do want to meet project
deadlines. I don’t want to have
to keep changing priorities”.
41. Identify a possible positive intent
but set personal boundaries.
E.g.“I know you believe it is
important to produce high
quality work. Criticizing my work
in front of the rest of the team
members is unacceptable. In
future, if you have concerns
about my work I want you to talk
to me first, privately. I will be
willing to make any changes you
think necessary.”
42. “I know you are upset about our missing the
deadline. I want to make sure as well that
this does not happen in the future.
However, yelling at me in the hallway
because you are upset is inappropriate. I
would rather take time to see how this we
can meet all future deadlines.”
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
43. “I know that you believe that the comment
you just made is harmless teasing, and just
helps everyone in the group to bond. I find
the term X offensive and I do not want to
be referred to as X “
“I know that you think saying X is just funny. I
don’t. Don’t refer to me like that again.”
44. Agree with the bully’s
major point (if there is
any validity in it at all)
E.g.:
“You’re absolutely right. I
should have checked this
with you first. Next time
I’ll make sure you know
first before I make a
decision.”
45. • “I understand that you
are upset about the
number of errors in
this report. I’ll see
that they are fixed
right away.”
46. Non-Verbal Strategies
Maintain eye contact, especially when the bully
becomes more aggressive. Do not look at the
ground.
Stand tall and straight and square your
shoulders. Look to occupy more rather than
less space.
47. Stand facing the bully rather than facing
sideways, or on an angle.
If sitting in a chair, keep your back
straight, and feet firmly on the floor. Do
not wrap your legs around the chair
rungs.
If the bully comes and begins abusive
behaviour when you are sitting,
immediately stand up and face him/her.
48. Keep your hands away from your
face; do not cover your mouth or
nose.
Do not let the other person violate
your personal space. Don’t back up,
tell them to move back. “You’re
standing too close to me. Please
move back.”
49. Outward signs of fear, or
intimidation.
Becoming “overly” emotional.
Taking stress leave or other medical
leave unless you have reported the
bullying behaviour
What to Avoid
50. • Being oversensitive to
normal teasing or
“team bonding”
behaviour.
Taking things
“personally”.
51. ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES
Use official internal company
channels – HR; shop steward.
Start this after the first
instance of bullying
behaviour
Prepare your case against the
bully
Present your case – Rule of 2 –
go 2 levels above the bully .
52. Obtain witness statements
Confront the Bully – difficult for many targets
because they tend to be non-confrontational
types of individuals
Consult an outside physician or therapist
53. Hire a lawyer
Get support from family and friends.
Let them know what kind of support
you are looking for e.g. listening)
Pitsel & Associates Ltd. 2013
Patricia Pitsel, Ph.D.
54. Responsibilities of the Target
Tell the bully to stop the behaviour
Document the unacceptable behaviour
Demonstrate that this follows a pattern and is
not a once in a year event
55. You have a range of choices:
You can passively accept
it, overtly encourage it, or
denounce a bully's actions
and provide support to
the victims.
The "bystander effect"
STRATEGIES For
BYSTANDERS
56. Recognize that a problem exists and
assistance is needed
Redirect the bully’s attention
Defend the Target
Report the bully’s activities to
another level of authority or to the
Union
58. “If you are neutral in situations
of injustice, you have chosen
the side of the oppressor. If
an elephant has its foot on
the tail of a mouse, and you
say that you are neutral, the
mouse will not appreciate
your neutrality.”
― Desmond Tutu
59.
60. “Our lives begin to end the
day we become silent about
things that matter”
M. L. King
62. Provide skill training for
staff in the area of conflict
resolution
Include questions about
possible occurrence on
staff engagement surveys
that are conducted.
63. • Be aware of typical
hazing or initiation
rites
Conduct exit interviews
for all staff
64. • Support the Target by
investigating ALL
complaints.
Encourage reporting of
bullying behaviour.
66. UnionStrategies
Initiate anti-bullying training
if none exists
Ensure Shop Stewards are
trained and aware
Stress that all bullying
behaviour is unacceptable
whether it is manager to
employee or peer to peer
67. UnionResponsibilities
Support members who are
being bullied
Negotiate anti-bullying
policies with management
Organize union action over
bullying if necessary
Provide advice and guidance
to members
68. • Contract language
• Confidential and effective
process for reporting
bullying behaviour
• Clean up your own house
and do not allow members
to bully one another
69. “When people hurt you over and
over, think of them like sandpaper.
They may scratch and hurt you a bit,
but in the end, you end up polished
and they end up useless.”
― Anonymous
70. “One's dignity may be
assaulted, vandalized and
cruelly mocked, but it can
never be taken away unless it
is surrendered.”
Michael J. Fox
Editor's Notes
“Repeated” behaviour refers (according to the Government of Victoria, Australia) to the persistent nature of the behaviour, not the specific form the behaviour takes. Behaviour is considered “repeated” if an established pattern can be identified. Bullying is differentiated from other phenomena such as incivility and conflict by the features of repetition, duration, escalation, intensity and power disparity. These features-rather than the message content-identify the phenomenon since content necessarily shifts depending on settings, tasks and actors. Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik, Assistant Professor of Communications, University of New Mexico, 2006
This list of behaviours is consistent in harassment legislation worldwide. Quebec Labor Standards, Section 81.18, specifies four criteria:1) The behaviours are repetitive;2) They are hostile and unwanted;3) They affect the person’s dignity or psychological integrity;4) They result in a harmful work environment.Bullying in the workplace is repeated inappropriate behavior conducted by one or more persons against another or others at the place of work and/or in the course of employment and which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual's right to dignity at work.
Predatory bullyingPredatory bullying happens when the target of the bullying has done nothing to justify the negative behaviour to them. The bully may be using the innocent victim to demonstrate their power to others, or the victim may belong to a separate group and is attacked as a representative of that group. Predatory bullying is more common in organisations where the culture permits or even rewards this kind of behaviour and the bully feels they are unlikely to be punished for their bad behaviour. Victims of predatory bullying find it hard to understand what they have done to cause the problems. However, the victim doesn’t need to have done anything wrong to cause the bullying.Physical Assault (including hazing, or initiation rites)Verbal Assault (including profanity, name calling, yelling or screaming, demeaning labels, threats)
Dispute-related bullyingDispute-related bullying develops out of a perceived slight or conflict that has got out of hand, souring the atmosphere in the workplace. One person believes that the other has wronged them, so the conflict escalates into a personal vendetta where the destruction of the opponent becomes the goal.Dispute-related conflict involves intense emotions leading each side to experience feelings of fear, suspicion, resentment, contempt and anger. An allegation of bullying is used as a tactic between the opponents.
the most affected industries being those with a very hierarchical management structure, high pressure jobs where staff can be seen as fairly expendable and also in very small, sometimes family-run businesses which fall beneath the radar of union involvement and have no policies on bullying.“
recent study of a diverse occupational sample of 180 workers in the Canadian prairies found that 40% reported experiencing at least 1 of 45 specific acts indicative of psychological harassment or bullying on a weekly basis for at least 6 months. An additional 10% of the sample reported experiencing 5 or more such acts on a weekly basis for at least 6 months (Lee & Brotheridge, 2005).
Research in the UK shows that 1/3 to 1/2 of stress-related illness is due to workplacebullying. According to a report tabled in the British parliament, it is estimated that 40million working days are lost each year because of bullying, more than 160 times thenumber of days lost through strikes. In addition, 25% of targets of bullying will leave thatjob, and 20% of witnesses will leave; 35% of those who leave do so very quietly, withoutany feedback (www.bullying.com.au/pages/workbullying.html, Dec. 2005).
Feeling of helplessness, covered by denial“Abused spouse syndrome”Memory lossHeart disease and strokeSleep disruptionLoss of concentrationSevere anxietyP.T.S.D.Just plain angerInsecurityShattered self-esteemAnger to rage to murderNightmaresGreater susceptibility to alcoholism
According to a comment on the Workplace Prof Blog, "Recent research suggests 18.9 million working days are lost each year as a direct result of bullying at work, costing to the UK economy of £6 billion", further "90% of those absent from work due to bullying tell employers their absence was the result of some other kind of illness.“..."Bullying at work costs businesses £18bn every year," says Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA), the UK’s largest commercial insurerCrisis Prevention Institute (USA). "...research has clearly demonstrated that when targets believe someone at work has treated them disrespectfully, half will lose work time worrying about future interactions with the instigator, and half will contemplate changing jobs to avoid a recurrence. Most will tell friends, family and colleagues about how badly they have been treated, and some targets of bullying will leave the company". [20 Nov 2007,
Victims are powerless; Targets can take action to remedy the situation.
Bullies look for anyone who will make an easy Target. You have not been selected because there is something wrong with you; you have possibly been selected because you do not appear to be a threat to the bully, someone who will fight back and not tolerate inappropriate behaviour.This makes it easier for you, and for those who may investigate the situation. This means that it is important to deal with facts, in as objective manner as is possible.
. A boundary is an unseen, unmeasurable limit or barriers that simultaneously create an inside and an outside. It is an invisible wall with two sides. Inside each individual boundary resides an identity – personal, family, or group. Challenges to these identities are launched by invading bullies from the outside who want to dictate the terms of a Targets identity.
You will need to ask if you should take yourself out of a work situation where you are being violated. You should do this as soon as you can.
Do not remain sitting letting the bully tower over you.
– have a representative accompany your – union or association representative
i. According to some surveys 96% of all bullying is witnessed either directly (0bservation) or indirectly (they see you coming out of a closed door meeting looking distraught)ii. Obtain separate statements for each incidentiii. Witnesses can be peers, by-standers, peers of the bully, other employees, etc.Put the responsibility where it belongs – on the bully. Do not help to excuse the bully’s behaviour by offering possible reasons for the bullying.ii. Do NOT use the -When you do X, I feel Y – statement. Bullies do not feel empathy toward others, and telling a bully how she made you feel only heightens your victim status in their eyes.iii. Prepare and practice a speech about the unprofessional, unacceptable, unthinkable pattern of misconduct that the bully has displayed. Tell the bully what your next step will be if this behaviour does not stop immediately, or if there is retaliation.
- the fact that when a person needs help, many observers simply stand idly by and don't assist the victim. Often, the more observers, the less helping because of what's known as "the diffusion of responsibility." ("Someone else will help." "It's not my responsibility.").
i. , and which specifically mentions bullying. Ensure that all staff are aware of their rights and responsibilities under this policy
with specific questions about the possibility of bullying
Report all bullying whether experienced or observed by developing a procedure that is flexible, confidential and ensures fair treatment for everyone involved
–on acceptable and unacceptable behaviors regardless of rank or power in the organization
Ensure contract language includes specific reference to bullyingEnsure that there is a confidential and effective process for reporting bullying behaviourEnsure that there is a confidential and effective process for reporting bullying behaviour
