In this webinar, Timothy Dimoff will discuss the steps involved in investigating claims of workplace bullying and cyber-bullying. What is considered bullying and how can an investigator or HR practitioner determine whether a behavior is bullying or just plain rudeness?

1. Investigating Workplace Bullying
Tim Dimoff, SACS Security and Consulting Services

2. What is Workplace Bullying?
Definition
Repeated unreasonable actions of an individual(s)
directed towards an employee(s), which are
intended to:
•Cause Health Risks
•Intimidate
•Degrade
•Humiliate
•Undermine
According to Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
According to Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

3. What is Workplace Bullying?
Includes
•Verbal Abuse
•Spreading Gossip/Lies
•Threatening Behavior
•Humiliation
•Work Inferences/Sabotage
•Persistent Criticisms of
Employees’ Work.
•Insulting Workers’ Habits,
Attitudes or Personal Lives.
•Reminding Employees of
Mistakes

4. Rude, Mean or Bullying?
Rude Behavior:
Characteristics:
Inadvertently saying or
doing something that
hurts someone else.
Spontaneous
Unplanned Inconsideration
Based on Thoughtlessness
Poor Manners
Narcissism
When the behavior is
looked at on it’s own, it
may appear as an element
of bullying.

5. Rude, Mean or Bullying
Mean Behavior:
Characteristics:
Purposefully Saying or Doing
Something to Hurt Someone
Once (Maybe Twice)
Spoken in Anger
Unlike Rude Behavior, Mean
Behavior Aims to Hurt or
Depreciate Someone
Sometimes Regretted in
Short Order
Impulsive

6. Rude, Mean or Bullying
Bullying Behavior:
Types:
• Entails 3 Key Elements
• Physical Aggression
– An Intent to Harm
– A Power Imbalance
– Repeated Acts/Threats
of Aggressive Behavior
• No Sense of Regret or
Remorse
• Verbal Aggression
• Relational Aggression
• Cyberbullying
• May Not be Obvious to
Others

7. Often Unreported
• 80% of managers admitted
that they know that
bullying occurs in their
workplace
• 44% of employers do not
have a bullying policy

8. Investigation Process
Step One:
Acknowledge the Types of
Abuse That May Have Taken
Place:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Emotional Abuse
Verbal Abuse
Humiliation
Threatening Behavior
Unfair Work Practices
Physical Threats
Sabotage, etc.

9. Investigating
Step Two: Identify the Hazard
Establish whether
workplace bullying or
harassment actually took
place, and if there is a
potential for the bullying
to continue.
•
Review patterns of
absenteeism, sick leave, staff
turnover, grievances, injury
reports and other such
records to establish any
potential verification of
reported complaint.

10. Investigating
Step Three: Interview the Potential Victim
Interview potential victim
and document all facts,
names of witnesses, etc.
• Determine privately with
those affected, the
specific behaviors &
circumstances that may
have caused the
workplace bullying.

11. Investigating
Step Four: Interview the Accused
Interview the accused &
document all facts, names
of witnesses, etc.
• Look for verifying facts
to prove/disprove the
accusations.

12. Investigating
Step Five: Assess the Risk
Assess the likelihood of
the behaviors continuing
to affect the health, safety
and welfare of the
potential victim and other
employees.

13. Investigating
Step Six: Establish Expectations
Develop and implement
strategies to control &
minimize the situation
from continuing or
escalating.
•
•
•
Consult all parties to cease
& desist all forms of
negative behavior
Establish expectations of
appropriate behavior
Establish consequences for
inappropriate behavior

14. Investigating
Step Seven: Finalize Investigation
Review all facts of the
case and all statements
provided during
investigation.
•
•
•
•
•
Attempt to determine the
validity of the complaint.
Advise all parties not to discuss
this investigation and to refrain
from any type of negative
behavior.
Finalize written report
Meet with appropriate people
Determine course of reprimand
if there is a guilty party

15. Recap
Employers
Investigate claims of
workplace bullying
– Identify the hazard
– Identify the behaviors
– Interview the potential
victim & accused
– Assess the risk
– Control the risk
– Evaluate & review the
process
It is YOUR Responsibility
as the Employer to
Resolve the Situation

16. Questions and Answers
If you have any questions that haven’t been
addressed, please submit them now.

17. Thank-you for participating
If you have any questions, please feel free
to email them to:
Timothy Dimoff
email@emailaddress.com
Joe Gerard, Vice President Marketing and Sales
j.gerard@i-sight.com