Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now a major workplace issue that has invaded our not for profit organisations. Take the following example.

Cheryl was the General Manager of a Not for Profit organisation in a major Australian City providing specialist supervision for young adults. She had recently received complaints of intimidation and harassment against a supervisor by an employee.

Imagine her surprise when within a week she received 3 more complaints from 3 other employees. All complaints appeared to hinge around the same behaviours.

The common thread appeared to be that the supervisor had publicly humiliated staff in front of other staff, scolded them for not doing expected work when they were not told about it, lectured them on nit picking incidences and often disappeared from the workplace for long periods of time leaving the other employees to carry the load.

This had been occurring for several years but had now come to a head.

What is Workplace Harassment?

In Queensland, Australia, the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 employers have an obligation to ensure the health and safety of all workers by managing risks at the workplace.

1. A person is subjected to “workplace harassment” if the person is subjected to repeated behaviour, by a person, including the person’s employer or a co-worker or group of co-workers of the person that- is unwelcome and unsolicited; and the person considers to be offensive, intimidating, humiliating or threatening; and a reasonable person would consider to be offensive, humiliating, intimidating or threatening.

Abusing the person/s loudly, usually when others are present;

Repeated threats of dismissal or other severe punishment for no reason;

Constant ridicule and being put down;

Leaving offensive messages on email or the telephone;

Sabotaging the person’s work for example by deliberately withholding or supplying incorrect information; hiding documents or equipment;

not passing on messages; and in other ways, getting the worker into trouble;

Maliciously excluding and isolating the person/s from workplace activities;

Persistent and unjustified criticisms, usually of the nit-picking variety;

Humiliating the person/s through sarcasm, criticism and insults, often in front of customers, management or other workers;

Spreading gossip or false, malicious rumours about the person/s with an intent to cause them harm;

Singling out and treating person/s differently from others, without good reason

Effects of Workplace Harassment on the Employees and the Business

Workplace harassment has detrimental effects on workers and the workplace.

Workers who are harassed can become:

distressed, anxious, withdrawn and depressed
physically ill, sleep deprived
aggressive, vengeful
less self-confident and develop low self-esteem.

Workplace harassment may result in:

loss of trained and talented workers;
loss of profits;
reduced productivity and morale;
an unsafe working environment; and
legal costs for a workplace.

Taking the ‘Bully’ by the Horns

Cheryl was in the middle of an important change management rollout when she received these complaints and recently the board had requested an updated strategic plan. Life was hectic for this Manager, Wife and Mother.

However, Cheryl was concerned about Bobs’ behaviours and consulted her organisation’s policy and procedures to see what she should do.

There was nothing specific on workplace harassment but there was a grievance policy, which Cheryl put into action immediately.

She personally interviewed all complainants and took notes followed up by external advice.

She spoke with Bob about her concerns and the complaints she had received and after several hours discussion had obtained agreement to contract a professional mediator to facilitate the grievances and hopefully reach a positive outcome for all parties.

The day of the mediation’s arrived. Seven hours later the 3 mediation’s were completed. Bob refused to acknowledge that his behaviours were inappropriate although he did concede that he was beginning to see his behaviours might have had some effect on his staff.

The following day Cheryl requested that Bob meet with her and discuss his behaviours privately. She had discovered that two of the employees had visited their Doctors the day before and were recommended taking anti-depressants and stress leave.

Bob arrived at his meeting. Cheryl placed before him incident after incident that had come to light explaining that there was a pattern in all these behaviours.

Bob refuted each incident believing that he had done nothing wrong.

After 7 hours of interactive discussion Cheryl asked Bob to leave the room and return in ½ an hour when she would let Bob know her decision.

Bob returned and Cheryl informed him that she considered his behaviour serious and that his employment was to be forthwith terminated for workplace harassment.

Time Passed

Within 2 weeks of Bob’s departure the workplace settled down, the 2 employees did not take stress leave or anti-depressants. Some months have now passed and the workplace continues to be a place people enjoy coming to every day without fear of harassment or intimidation.

The organisation has not had to replace the previous supervisor as the workload has easily been absorbed by the current employees now they are empowered and not harassed.

Cost

Cheryl spent 5 days solid time investigating and dealing with the harassment complaints.

The direct cost’s to the organisation was $12,000 in employee entitlements and the Mediators fees. Indirect costs amounted to the same and what about the loss in productivity, absenteeism and workplace counselling that followed?

Several staff had been traumatised which effected productivity and put at risk government funding that was an important component of the organisations’ revenue.

As this harassment had gone unreported for 2 years the personal cost to several staff had been high and this explained the high staff turnover in that period.

Summary

Do not ignore workplace harassment and think it will go away – it rarely does. Deal with it immediately or the cost to your organisation and employees will be high both in personal, productivity and possible legal penalties and claims.

You can effectively manage workplace harassment by adopting some of the following procedures

Introduce a workplace specific harassment policy

Arrange for an in-house seminar on workplace harassment and have employees sign to say they will comply with the policy

Include in your employees employment contracts (new starts) a clause about the company’s workplace standard policy and procedures.

Appoint a workplace harassment officer.

Deal with all complaints immediately, confidentially and thoroughly.

Remember you may be vicariously liable for the actions of your employees.

Do not ignore workplace harassment and think it will go away. Silence may give the impression of tolerance and tacit acceptance.

For more information visit http://www.biz-momentum.com

Philip Lye is Director of Biz Momentum Pty Ltd providing professional services in

• Strategic human resource management
• Employee Relations Advice
• Workplace Health Safety Compliance Strategies
• Management Skills Training

Philip holds qualifications in Accounting, Leadership, Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations and is a qualified accountant. For more information see http://www.biz-momentum.com

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