Impact on employees and employer’s contribution
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Abstract
Bullying is prevalent in schools, colleges and even in work places. The problem is all-pervading and affects productivity at work places. This paper tries to understand the debilitating effects work place bullying, specifically managerial level harassment. It is a known fact that employees suffer mentally and physically due to stress of working under bullying bosses. Various levels of research indicate that the managerial bulling goes undocumented, as employers do not consider it as a serious threat to the organization. In addition, there are no laws to protect the employees from the after effects of bullying. To understand the employee and employer’s views on the topic, research from various sources are studied and discussed briefly in this paper. Some organizations supporting employee welfare, health and well-being advocate methods to document and report bullying. Such remedial measures are tabulated and employers’ role is emphasized. Future study directions are also indicated in this report.
Key words: Bullying, work places, productivity, remedial measures
Impact on employees and employer’s contribution
Introduction
‘Survival of the fittest’ is a norm that pervades our society. While it was acceptable during hunting-gathering days, it is controversial in modern times. Trying to survive in a competitive world people has acquired newer ways of expressing their might. Bullying is one of the ways to intimidate, scorn, or laugh at others. At school, in colleges and in work places people exhibit the tendencies to bully. They tease verbally, irritate by scheming or laughing, criticize others to prove their own existence. The reasons for bullying are varied ranging from insecurity, jealousy, and incompetence. According to a publication by University of Louisville (n.d.) 37% of United States workforce is bullied at work. Men are more bullied than women, and managers, supervisors are prone to bullying subordinates. While in schools and colleges there are laws to protect people against bullying, at work place, it is vastly ignored. A bully is considered a better boss because he is able to extract more work from the employees. An employee on the other hand becomes a victim of verbal, psychological abuse. Physical and emotional well being of the employee is affected and productivity suffers. This report tries to dwell deeper into the context of managerial bulling at work places, its causes, and effects. It also tries to explain the consequences and remedial measures one would adopt to counter the behavior.
We are born because of the one sperm cell, which beats the others in a race to germinate. As children, we are trained to excel in a running race and as teenagers, we learn to score high by extra efforts. Before being an adult, we have acquired a talent to win against one another by hook or crook. Winners are applauded and losers scoffed. This game of winning and losing is taking toll at work places, where bullying ensues. “Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an employee (or a group of employees), which are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which create a risk to the health or safety of the employee(s)” (Washington State Employee Assistance Program, 2011). When bullying occurs repeatedly affecting mental balance of an employee then it has consequences. Employees fail to perform their tasks in time, report headaches, and stress and take more sick leaves to escape. It is a vicious cycle where an employee cannot escape work and the managers take advantage. There is serious need to understand why bullying happens at work places and how it may be identified.
Literature review
One or two supervisors lead teams of employees. Managers have powers to interview, select, question; change an employee, which is a unique opportunity to demonstrate power. Some people with power experiment and misuse it to express authority. Bullying may occur in several instances and locations. Someone may over hear your conversations, chide or ridicule in front of a group, shout or swear for lapses in work, exclude you from company activities, or play practical jokes (Bullyingstatistics.org, n.d.). There is a fine line between bullying and aggression and that is hard to decipher. Aggressive bosses get the job done by pressurizing or setting unrealistic targets. When the aggression borders on repeated derisive words, actions or discrimination it becomes bullying.
Bullies typically are insecure when faced with competition. They find ways of targeting an employee who may be better than they may, or who had won praise from higher-ups. Structural changes in work place, seniority, age and position designations, inter personal conflicts, role conflicts are some of other reasons to trigger bullying (Tim Field Foundation, 2010). From the employer point of view, aggression is encouraged because it relates to productivity. However, from an employee’s point of view it is mental trauma. Increased stress, anxiety, disturbed sleep, nightmares, or flashes are some of the consequences of work place bullying. Job satisfaction reduces and they seek alternates ways of reducing stress. They lose concentration levels, become more secretive, and avoid confrontation. Absenteeism, turnover, and loss of productivity are further results (Stale Einarsen, Helge Hoel, Cary Cooper, 2003).
The employees are victims and their bosses are the oppressors. The loss is felt at the organization level. When turnover increases due to bullying, the firm has to advertize, scrutinize, interview and select new employees. The new have to be trained on the job and this involves time and money. Organization loses millions every year when employees leave work. “Costs of bullying to business are high staff turnover, retraining costs, damage to employee health, absenteeism & sick leave, workplace violence, wrongful termination suits, and lowered productivity “(Tamara Parris, n.d.). The featured literature indicates there quite a lot of research on the causes, impacts, and consequences of bullying. The need of the hour is the remedial measures at personal behavior as well as organization and governmental levels.
Discussion
The duration of bullying is the crux of the problem definition. The longer bullying happens the farther are its impacts. Employee morale is reduced, manager’s ego goes insatiate, and eventually the employee leaves the job. Action regarding such behavior has to occur at personal level too. Compassion, camaraderie, and well-being have to be emphasized at all levels in the society. In general, there is a loss of civility in people (Ray B. Williams, 2012). Bullying at school and colleges has reached such gigantic proportions that laws and Acts protect children and teens. Work place practices do not tolerate bullying but there are no binding laws to enforce the rules. Zero tolerance to sexual abuse or harassment is available in office policies but bullying is considered a regular norm.
What are the limitations to implement stricter laws to curb bullying at work? Employers themselves consider the emotionally weak people, junior jobholders, interns, temporary workers dispensable. Future workforce is built on the shoulders of current juniors and so their contribution needs to be recognized. Sioux City, Iowa was the first employer in the United States to address workplace bullying for adult employees (Gary Namie, 2013). There are activists and advocates fighting for a bill called WBI Healthy Workplace Bill that demands real enforcement. Reporting workplace bullying in a systematic manner and empowering employees to voice their concerns goes a long way in curbing the menace. Remedial measures suggested by ---- indicate that there are solutions to the problem. Employers have to act at the office level to implement strong zero tolerance policies. It takes personal will and employer’s consensus to implement and protect the employees. On the employee, side there has to be support and strengthening exercises to understand the stress levels and act when need arises. Shying away from reporting or quitting the job due to bullying is not a remedy for the prevalent problem.
Limitations of studies
The research about work place bullying has some limitations in data availability. Small-scale surveys at firm level for one category like nurses or secretaries are conducted but large-scale datasets are not available. Vast variability in work places - be it a corporate office or a small family owned business, makes it difficult to compare data under same category. Work place bullying trends cannot be compared because jobs and firms are widely varied. Studies so far have identified the widely existing bullying problem but comprehensive data at state or federal level are scarce. The resources used to write this paper also indicate activists and non-governmental organization trying to create awareness about the problem.
Conclusions and future study
The question of bullying at work place calls for further study in creating a consensus by firms and organizations. Certain norms or policies like strengthening the employee’s confidence and confidential place he or she may turn to have to be established. Such privacy related matter can be administered in private firms by the intervention of state and federal mandates. Employer’s contribution is very important in resolving such matters. Changing the employee’s manager sometimes helps, so also switching the employee to a different team. In severe cases, employer has to act strictly to reprimand the erring manager.
Employee unions have to give credence when they support a bullying report. Employees who seem to absent frequently, reports sickness, whose morale is low or whose annual evaluation reports indicate low performance have to identified separately. Human resources though available, are eventually working for the same employer so their opinions may not be strong enough to warrant action. Non-EAP (Employee Assistance Program) counselors have to be recruited to understand the severity of the problem (David Farmer, 2011). Work and achievement balance emotional health of an employee and rapport with colleagues matter too. Healthy work environment can be ensured by creating ‘work buddies’ based on friendship and understanding rather than working teams.
Bullying at work place is a serious problem, which affects organizations and people alike. Curbing it improves the well-being of the employee and directly benefits the employer too. It is high time everyone recognizes the severity of the problem. The immediate nature of the bullying problem seeks nearest solutions. According to Elbert Hubbard, I quote “the best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today” unquote (Brainyquote.com).
References
Washington State Employee Assistance Program (2011). Stop workplace bullying- It’s not normal — it’s unreasonable. Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know. Retrieved from: http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Files/Bullying.pdf.
Bullyingstatistics.org (n.d.). Workplace Bullying. Retrieved from: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html
Tim Field Foundation, 2010. What triggers Bullying. Retrieved from: http://bullyonline.org/workbully/amibeing.htm#what_triggers_bullying
Stale Einarsen, Helge Hoel, Cary Cooper, 2003. Bullying and Emotional Abuse in the Workplace: International Perspectives in Research and Practice. Ebook. P145-150. Available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=6L0HYxz1CdUC&lpg=PA145&ots=9WGOtDDPTS&dq=workplace%20bullying%20effects%20on%20victim&lr&pg=PA145#v=onepage&q=workplace%20bullying%20effects%20on%20victim&f=false
Tamara Parris, n.d. Costs of Bullying- The Business Cost of Bullying in the Workplace. Retrieved from: http://www.overcomebullying.org/costs-of-bullying.html
Ray B. Williams, 2012. The Rise of Incivility and Bullying in America- The majority of Americans report that incivility and bullying is on the rise. Psychology Today. Wired for Success. July 15, 2012. Available at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201207/the-rise-incivility-and-bullying-in-america
Gary Namie, 2013. Workplace Bullying in Schools Project. Retrieved from: http://www.workplacebullying.org/targets/solution/sioux.html
David Farmer, August 2011. Workplace Bullying: An increasing epidemic creating traumatic experiences for targets of workplace bullying. The Special Issue on Behavioral and Social Science. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Vol. 1 No. 7 [Special Issue –June 2011] Available at: http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._7_[Special_Issue_June_2011]/25.pdf.
Brainyquote.com. Work Quotes. Retrieved from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_work.html
