Archive for October 23, 2017

| October 23, 2017
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Tyrants in Office: The real cost of workplace bullying [The HRDirector, by Bonnie Low Kramen, 22/10/2017]

Bullying

Workplace Bullying

Celebrity Assistant and Bestselling Author, Bonnie Low Kramen, is launching a nationwide anti-workplace bullying campaign, following the release of a survey which highlights the rife epidemic of bullying at work, and the emotional damage which is costing businesses millions of dollars per year through employee retention, absenteeism and decreased staff productivity as a direct result of work-related stress.

Bonnie Low Kramen will host the launch campaign in Washington DC, examining workplace bullying with a live audience, alongside former Director of Events at the White House and Special Assistant to Bill Clinton – Laura Schwartz, and Microsoft certified trainer to Bill Gates’ Administrative team – Vickie Sokol Evans, who will also take to the stage during the inaugural international conference for office professionals, at the Watergate Hotel, November 10-11.

The survey, released in conjunction with Bonnie Low Kramen, has revealed the true cost of bullying to businesses. Using a global sample of over 3,000 respondents from across the Administrative Professionals Industry, returned business critical statistics:

69 percent of those surveyed had personally experienced workplace bullying during their career, with 67 percent of those bullied having experienced bullying in the workplace on 3 or more occasions; 82 percent of those who had experienced bullying in the workplace has suffered severe stress as a direct result of the situation; 84 percent noted that their productivity level had dropped during the time; 43 percent of those surveyed, had taken time off work sick, varying between less than a week, between one week and one month, right up to more than 6 months away from the workplace.

In monetary terms, workplace bullying results in over $16million in turnover and $8million in lost productivity per year. While this is evidently creating a dent in the financial turnover of companies, the real damage is much more serious, with employees facing ongoing trauma, emotional symptoms and medical conditions. The physical and mental effects caused by bullying in the workplace resulted in 92 percent of those surveyed, not wanting to return to the office, 87 percent experiencing anxiety and depression and 61 percent maintaining difficulty concentrating. Shockingly, the results show that businesses are not taking appropriate action to prevent workplace bullying and protect staff members. Results showed 83 percent of companies that were aware of the situation did not consult with HR, with only 7 percent taking disciplinary action, and 84 percent providing no professional support to victims.

Bonnie Low Kramen commented: “This global epidemic is real, and it is time to take action and the price we are paying is far too high. Businesses are losing staff, productivity and hemorrhaging money to pay absenteeism, recruitment and lawsuits. But more importantly, we have an unhealthy working culture which will only change by shining a light and training our leaders how to take action. I cannot believe that we, in the US, are yet to pass a bill in any single state to protect employees from workplace bullying, given that this issue has been the elephant in the room for years.

“Despite the advanced society we exist in, technology has also opened the doors to online forms of bullying, including cyber bullying, trolling, abuse, yet we have still not put measures in place to protect ourselves, our colleagues, our employees and our businesses. This has to stop today, and if this is not happening at a state level, we need to take action from the bottom up. Through the voice of the workforce, and through the support of forward thinking businesses and CEOs who are ready to tackle issues, and insist on a positive working environment.”

In spite of the visible costs to companies, 25 percent of respondents identified their company as having no official policy or code of conduct when it came to handling bullying, while 44 percent felt their company HR department dealt with bullying inadequately, and 8 percent outlined their company had no formal HR department or personnel.

Bonnie added: “This campaign will allow us to provide businesses of all sizes, with the tools to be able to address workplace bullying, and support employees. Bullying is a problem for all concerned, and more often than not, the bullies are also suffering issues including work related stress themselves. We spend an average of one third of our life at work. We need to acknowledge, address and eradicate bullying and create a happy working culture, whatever industry we are in.” As part of the anti-bullying campaign launch, Bonnie is giving all businesses a free ‘anti-bullying resource kit’ to share with their HR departments and staff. This is available at: www.bonnielowkramen.com/workplacebullying

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| October 23, 2017
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One of my employees says she’s being bullied by her manager – what should I do? [Independent, by Caroline McEnery, 22/10/2017]

 

Bullying is a sensitive area and can be daunting and sometimes difficult to handle. Stock photo
Bullying is a sensitive area and can be daunting and sometimes difficult to handle.

One of my employees says she is being bullied by her manager. I understand that the company dignity and respect policy should be followed and I want to ensure the process is undertaken correctly. How should I proceed?

The purpose of such a policy is to ensure a working environment free from bullying and harassment. It should apply both at work and at work-related events such as meetings, conferences and office parties, whether on or off the premises. The policy should also apply to customers or other business contacts.

Bullying is a sensitive area and can be daunting and sometimes difficult to handle. You should listen patiently, be supportive and discuss the options open to the employee. Assure her the policy is in place for her protection and the company takes such allegations very seriously. It is important that you remain impartial, because at this stage there is only an allegation, and both parties are entitled to a fair hearing.

The policy should have informal and formal procedures to deal with such issues. Any employee who complains about bullying or harassment should have the option of which procedure they wish to follow. In this case your first step is to speak with the employee, to outline both procedures.

It is often preferable for all concerned that complaints are dealt with informally whenever possible, as an informal approach can often resolve matters quickly and effectively with the minimum of conflict and stress.

Mediation could also be an option under the informal procedure, when a trained mediator arranges a meeting with both parties, if they agree. This option is particularly effective where personality conflicts are the core of the problem.

If an informal approach is inappropriate or if after the informal stage the issue persists, the employee may request that the formal procedure be invoked. There can be slight variations to the formal procedure from company to company, but all procedures need to ensure that:

The employee should make a formal complaint, in writing;

The manager (who is the subject of the complaint here) should be notified in writing that an allegation of bullying has been made against them and what the process involves;

Both parties must have the right to be accompanied by a representative at all meetings;

The complainant should meet the investigator nominated by the company to carry out the investigation into the allegations;

No assumptions should be made by the company about the guilt or otherwise of the manager or the motivation or intent of the employee;

Though procedures will vary slightly between organisations, the important thing is to ensure your company procedure is followed and both parties afforded natural justice and fairness;

This procedure must be open and transparent, with confidentiality a key factor.

The Labour Relations Commission Code of Practice on bullying in the workplace defines bullying as “Repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work. An isolated incident of the behaviour described in this definition may be an affront to dignity at work but, as a one-off incident, is not considered to be bullying”.

Ensuring positive moral and employee relations after the investigation is important, to ensure both parties can work together as the business requires. Open communication and possible mediation at this stage is key in that regard.

We all want to work in an environment that respects the dignity and work of all. Fostering a culture in which unacceptable behaviour is nipped in the bud immediately by all stakeholders is a key ingredient in promoting this culture.

 

Caroline McEnery is managing director of The HR Suite, which offers Ireland-wide specialist human resources and business solutions; a member of the Low Pay Commission and an adjudicator in the Work Place Relations Commission. She is also the author of The Art of Asking the Right Questions, a team manager’s toolkit of HR-related tips

Category: News |