Page 120 - An Indispensible Resource for Being a Credible Activist

The FBI also cites workplace bullying at least eight times in its report on workplace violence:
● “It is the threats, harassment, bullying, domestic violence, stalking, emotional abuse,
intimidation, and other forms of behavior and physical violence that, if left
unchecked, may result in more serious violent behavior.”
● “A plan should take into account the workplace culture: work atmosphere,
relationships, traditional management styles, etc. If there are elements in that culture
that appear to foster a toxic climate—tolerance of bullying or intimidation; lack of
trust among workers, between workers and management; high levels of stress,
frustration and anger; poor communication; inconsistent discipline; and erratic
enforcement of company policies—these should be called to the attention of top
executives for remedial action.”
● “In defining acts that will not be tolerated, the statement should make clear that not
just physical violence but threats, bullying, harassment, and weapons possession
are against company policy and are prohibited.” 4

❱❱ WHAT IS WORKPLACE BULLYING AND WHO IS AFFECTED?

As per the NIOSH Web site,

Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group)
directed toward an employee (or a group of employees), which is intended to intimidate
and creates a risk to the health and safety of the employee(s). Workplace bullying often
involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying includes behavior that intimidates,
degrades, offends, or humiliates a worker, often in front of others. Bullying behavior
creates feelings of defenselessness in the target and undermines an individual’s right to
dignity at work.
Bullying is different from aggression. Whereas aggression may involve a single act, bully-
ing involves repeated attacks against the target, creating an ongoing pattern of behavior.
“Tough” or “demanding” bosses are not necessarily bullies, as long as their primary moti-
vation is to obtain the best performance by setting high expectations. Many bullying situations
involve employees bullying their peers, rather than a supervisor bullying an employee.
One study from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found
that a quarter of the 516 private and public companies studied reported some occurrence of
bullying in the preceding year. 5

See the HR Tool entitled “Examples of Bullying” at the end of the chapter, on page 108,
to help you identify bullying and the HR Tool entitled “Sample Memo Regarding Bullying
and Workplace Violence,” on pages 108–109, for an example of how it might be addressed
in memo form. The example information about bullying in the HR Tool entitled “Examples
of Bullying” on pages 108, is from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries,
one of the first American states to implement this important anti-workplace bullying
policy.
CHAPTER 8 • Concerns about W orkplace Violence, Bullying 103