Are you a victim of workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying has increased with the introduction of the Workchoices legislation. Workplace bullying has fast become a heated topic for discussion, with the state governments and other professional organisation’s launching special task forces with a mission to raise awareness, devise and implement proactive measures in order to combat and eliminate harassment in our places of employment. In my opinion, this has not come quickly enough, or effective with many workers being subject to workplace bullying and in many cases discrimination, whether in a passive or a directly confrontational way without recourse.  So what is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying has been defined as:

... continued and deliberate unfair, unjust or abusive treatment of an individual at work by one or more co-workers, supervisors, managers or customers.

Is your workplace a toxic environment? Take the test:

Does your workplace have a high staff turnover rate?

Is there a high percentage of staff absenteeism?

Are staff morale levels low?

Are productivity and performance levels low?

Does your boss?

• blame others for errors
• raising false concerns about or criticising the work of others
• making unreasonable demands
• yelling and screaming threats of job loss, insult, or put-downs
• inconsistent enforcement of arbitrary rules
• social exclusion
• stealing credit for another's work.

If you are a victim of Workplace Bullying don’t put up with it. Report it immediately.

While workplace bullying should not be tolerated and reported to the senior management immediately there are a number of strategies you can follow in order to address certain situations, before they escalate out of control.

In a situation where a colleague or supervisor throws burning criticism or downgrading and spiteful comments continuously, rather than providing constructive feedback, don’t let this type of behaviour continue to rob you of your self-esteem. Instead, try implementing the following communication strategies in order to diffuse verbal

abuse with dignity.

Don’t become defensive or respond in kind by yelling abuse back in return to the workplace bullying. This will only add fuel to the fire and allow the abuser to see that they have successfully manipulated you into becoming upset. (if you make a claim to the Industrial Relations Commission or the Equal Opportuntiy Commssion, you have to be careful they don't blame you for being the perpetrator of the allegation)

Record each and every event so that you have documented proof of each of the occurrences. [Keep this record at home and not in your workplace.]

 Assess and evaluate your workplace culture to see whether these type of bullying tactics are accepted or whether this is just an isolated incident. This is important from the prepspectve of discrimination, have you been singled out because your female, or your race, age etc? (check discrimination and harassment page for a full list of the grounds), If rife within the organization you may wish to re-eva lute your desire to work for such an organization. If your forced to resign over the workplace bullying we can look at lodging a constuctive dismissal claim with the Industrial relations commission.

Look after yourself both physically and emotionally. Perhaps talk about this with someone outside your organization. Use your support network: friends and family may be able to provide assistance. Approach your HR department, Supervisor or Manager and request support and assistance in dealing with this situation. [They should do all in their power to stop the harassment / workplace bullying]. If all else fails, consult a industrial relations a advocate who specializes in Workplace bullying Issues. (we offer free, understanding advice)

Seek support from a Doctor, Therapist or Counselor.

In many instances it may be appropriate to lodge a workcover claim, our experience is that claims are notoriously difficult to get accepted for workplace bullying. It is important to consult your doctor.

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