Workplace bullying is a growing problem that many small business owners are unaware of or don't know how to address. Bullying negatively impacts employee morale, productivity, and turnover. If not addressed, bullying could also result in lawsuits against the business. The document provides tips for small businesses to identify and stop bullying, including establishing a positive work environment with clear conduct policies, responding quickly to complaints, training supervisors to spot signs of bullying like isolation or humiliation, and enacting anti-bullying policies to protect the business from liability.

1. How
Your
Small
Business
Can
Put
a
Stop
to
Workplace
Bullying
Bullying
doesn’t
just
happen
at
school.
In
fact,
workplace
bullying
is
becoming
a
disturbingly
common
occurrence.
Unfortunately,
too
many
employers
are
unaware
that
it
happens
or
don’t
know
how
to
put
a
stop
to
it.
Anyone
can
be
a
bully
in
the
workplace—from
coworkers
to
managers
to
owners.
It’s
important
that
you
identify
bullying
and
know
how
to
end
it—before
it
costs
your
business.
Why
Stopping
Bullying
is
Important
Although
it’s
not
legally
considered
harassment,
you’re
opening
the
door
bullying
behaviors
if
you
don’t
have
a
policy
in
place.
Bullying
can
quickly
escalate
and
lead
to
claims
of
a
hostile
work
environment,
discrimination,
and
even
retaliation.
In
addition
to
putting
your
small
business
at
risk
for
lawsuits,
it
could
also
be
the
reason
your
business
has
such
high
employee
turnover
rates.
Can
you
afford
taking
on
these
risks
by
ignoring
workplace
bullying?
How
Can
You
Stop
Workplace
Bullying?
First,
you
must
identify
it
exists.
If
you
see
bullying
yourself,
you
must
immediately
act,
but
you
also
need
to
create
an
environment
in
which
employees
feel
comfortable
enough
to
report

2. bullying.
To
help
minimize
your
liability,
here
are
a
few
things
you
can
do
if
bullying
occurs
in
your
small
business.
Promote
a
Positive
Workplace
You
set
the
tone
for
your
workplace
environment.
A
positive
set
of
leadership
skills
shows
your
employees
how
they
are
expected
to
treat
one
another
while
working
together.
No
hazing,
teasing,
or
bullying
should
ever
be
accepted—nor
practiced
by
you
or
other
management.
Make
it
clear
which
behaviors
are
acceptable
and
which
could
lead
to
immediate
termination.
Your
employee
handbook
should
have
strict
conduct
policies,
and
also
include
a
process
for
reporting
any
inappropriate
behavior.
Respond
Quickly
to
Accusations
If
you
receive
a
complaint
or
hear
a
rumor
about
bullying,
you
must
respond
quickly.
Immediate
action
not
only
shows
employees
you
don’t
tolerate
bulling
in
the
workplace,
but
can
also
limit
your
liability
if
an
employee
chooses
to
sue
later
on.
Time
never
fixes
bullies.
The
longer
you
allow
bullying
in
your
business,
the
more
damage
it
could
do
to
an
employee
or
group
of
employees—and
the
more
liabilities
you’re
likely
to
rack
up.
Train
Supervisors
and
Learn
the
Indicators
for
Bullying
Supervisors
should
know
how
to
spot
bullying,
but
also
know
how
to
react
if
bullying
is
identified.
A
few
signs
bullying
is
occurring
in
your
workplace:
• Deceit:
Repeatedly
lying,
not
telling
the
truth,
concealing
the
truth,
deceiving
others
to
get
one’s
way,
and
creating
false
hopes
with
no
plans
to
fulfill
them
• Intimidation:
Overt
or
veiled
threats;
fear-­‐inducing
communication
and
behavior
• Seduction:
Using
excessive
flattery
and
compliments
to
get
people
to
trust
them,
lower
their
defenses,
and
be
more
responsive
to
manipulative
behavior
• Shame
and
guilt:
Making
an
employee
constantly
feel
that
they
are
the
problem,
shaming
them
for
no
real
wrongdoing,
or
making
them
feel
inadequate
and
unworthy
See
the
full
list
of
all
twenty
signs
of
subtle
bullying
at
www.workplacebullying.org.
Some
common
indicators
of
workplace
bullying
include:
• Low
employee
morale
• Low
productivity
from
a
particular
employee
• Unwanted
criticism
• Blame
without
any
justification
• Employees
being
treated
differently
than
the
rest
of
the
group

3. • Any
employee
isolation
or
exclusion
• Humiliation
in
public
or
shouting
• Micro-­‐managing
or
excessive
monitoring
of
a
specific
employee
Workplace
bullying
can
be
very
costly
for
a
small
business.
Not
handling
it
appropriately
could
not
only
lead
to
high
turnover,
but
also
set
your
company
up
for
a
lawsuit
that
could
potentially
put
you
out
of
business.
By
acting
quickly,
recognizing
the
signs
of
bullying,
and
instilling
effective
policies,
you
can
limit
the
chances
it
will
affect
your
small
business.
See
how
you
can
prevent
costly
employee
turnover
and
improve
your
human
resources
department
by
ordering
your
copy
of
Practical
Tools
to
Manage
Costly
Employee
Turnover
today.