October is National Bullying Prevention Month!
Bullying in the Workplace BY PATTI GILLIANO MSN
H ow would you feel if your son or daughter came home from school one
According to a recent FOX news article, Gary Namie, the founder of day and started telling you about another the Workplace Bullying Institute said, child who verbally accosted them, “Workplace bullying is like domestic belittled them, or made them the object abuse without the violence.” It is similar of ridicule? Most of us could agree, our to a battered relationship, because protective instinct and nurturing side the victim is always off balance, never would rear into focus and we would knowing when it will occur and hopeful guide and coach our child to stand up to that a quiet period in between could the aggressor and try to put a stop to it be turning point. Only it does not end, immediately. However, what do you do and the cycle continues with the abuser when it happens to you as an adult with a using whatever weaknesses it can find fellow co-worker? to continue the turmoil toward the victim. The challenge with bullying is It is not so easy to take matters into disciplining someone who embarrasses, your own hands and remember all the humiliates, or mistreats another can human resource seminars on behavior often be misconstrued unless there are in the workplace and “let’s all get along witnesses, and/or events that can be training.” Regardless of established policies and procedures, annual trainings, documented and objectively shared with the employee’s boss and human and posters promoting a “healthy work resources. environment,” 1 in 7 employees face some type of workforce bullying. High Here are a few key tips: First, maintain stress jobs tend to breed a more reactive a professional environment and avoid culture today. The literature out there any kind of information that can be indicates that because employees are used as ammunition toward you. It is asked to do more with less, they feel a important to work confidently and avoid squeeze which can cause some people announcing your weaknesses openly to want to step on others as a way to until there is some level of established improve job security and show greater credibility. worth; all at the cost of intimidating Next, do not share details of your life others in a very real and calculating or family other than the superficial. passive-aggressive way.
24 October 2013 | PB Parenting |