Trends in the Workplace: Bullying on the rise?

[FedGovtemployee]

This is my first post. It's more of a comment than a question; however, at a later date, I shall create another thread on a similar, but more specific subject unless it would be more appropriate in this thread.

I've been hearing quite a bit lately how our HR Department is receiving a lot more grievances from employees on matters of harassment (including bullying) against managers. Yet, due to the nature of the [grievance] process and how management at all levels tend be bias, 99% of the harassment cases are denied. Accordingly, bullying is not being addressed. Bullying is largely being ignored, yet in schools, for our children, it's being addressed, somewhat.

Any thoughts on the subject?

[Owen]

Have a look at the COHSR Part XX...I just attended training this week with HRSDC presenting the VPP to our policy committee. The competent person may have to be a contracted out person if the employer and employee involved don't agree on the no bias part.

[FedGovtemployee]

Thanks Owen for the reply.

Due to the structure of the organization and the available "recourse" to the person who is grieving, they won't allow someone from the outside to interfere...unless of course it is a lawyer representing the person who is making the claim of harassment.

[EGordon]

Hi there,

Welcome to Workscape as it is an excellent place to post and get responses from numerous people either in the same/similar field or with similar issues.

Bullying and Harassment should have a form of internal complaint procedures, corrective action and be endorsed from the top down.

I work for a municipality and have seen issues that have led to grievances and other issues that have fallen silent.

With Bill 168, we did a lot of research and have have a fairly low incident rate on harassment, bullying, and no workplace violence incidents.

The bigger concern for any employer now is how many incidents have gone silent or not reported and the impact it can now have.

We spent a lot of time on these issues, and I do a lot of the training for our seasonals and regular staff alike.

If you have any questions on these matters, feel free to contact me offline to discuss or e-mail about.

Once again, welcome to an excellent resource!

[FedGovtemployee]

Thanks EGordon. From what I have seen and experienced so far, coupled with speaking with many union reps, incidents of workplace bullying and harassment (not referring to sexual harassment or harassment on the basis of race, sexual orientation, or age) is on the rise. Unwelcomed or inappropriate behavior such as intimidation and ulterior motives by managers and how they interact/communicate with employees is just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing is being done about harassment and bullying unless it's sexual or race (contravenes the human rights act). Complaints are being swiped under the rug with lots of window dressing and smoke and mirrors to give the impression that something indeed is being done but in reality it's not and people are reluctant to speak up.

Upper management will not classify these complaints or grievances as harassment. One form of bullying is "mobbing" where someone has been picked out as the target, other employees become fearful of supporting them or even being associated with them.

A vicious group dynamic quickly takes hold in which the victim is shunned, isolated from colleagues and subjected to constant criticism, ridicule, belittlement and humiliation. Upper management quickly labels that employee as being having an interpersonal issue and can't get along with others.

When the employee who experiences bullying (in all of it's many forms), no matter how mentally strong, cannot endure this behavior for very long without it taking it's toll on the individual. When this happens, as it has happened with me, managers will quickly mark you (me) as being defective and thus subject to greater scrutiny. This is ideal for them so they can use the incompetence wild card or "unfit to work" to get rid of you and allow more of the people they want to work for them (see below).

There seems to be very little research into bullying in the workplace too. While the effects of bullying are documented, what motivates bullying managers is hard to dissect. Upper management never wants to admit or acknowledge that their managers would bully any one. The bullying manager doesn't see him or herself as an abusive or abrasive manager. He does not feel that he is bullying his employee(s), rather rationalizing that he/she is doing what is best for the organization or the unit. As long as there is some kind of explanation to justify his actions, the upper echilons dismiss complaints against the managers and categorize the employees making the complaints as "problem" employees or "sour grapes".

In my workplace, the culture has been described as a poisoned work environment, evil, toxic, dysfunctional, abusive, and abrasive...just to name a few. The internal policy allows rumour and speculation to grow, contributing greatly to the culture of cynicism and mistrust between management and the rest of the organization.

Management's including HR's attitude is don't admit there is a problem, that way you don't have to fix it. In my particular situation, I have to meet with HR and the department head coming weeks to discuss the behavior of my line manager who is bullying me, practicing significant favoritism, is recruiting an "army" of new employees from her friends and friends of friends. All this within a union shop! I am at a loss at how I can defend myself and and to let management know what is going on and how it impacts me. Unfortunately, I cannot elaborate here, maybe via PM.