Workplace bullying is also a serious concern for companies. As a business professional in a management position, you need to understand the definition of workplace bullying so that you can recognize it, how it differs from harassment, how prevalent the problem is, and how it can impact your company before you sit down to write your anti-bullying policy and try to prevent this from happening in your workplace. Luckily, we’re broken it all down for you in this blog. First, let’s straighten out of definitions. In the HR world, we are always talking about harassment. So how does workplace bullying differ from harassment?
In the United States, workplace bullying is not specifically defined by the law or public policy. The Workplace Bullying Institute defines workplace bullying as: Repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms:
(For a more detailed definition, click here.)
In the United States, harassment is defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as:
Harassment is prohibited by law while bullying is not. Harassment relates to a person’s protected status while bullying can be directed at anyone and does not have to be related to a person’s status. Harassment can take place whether or not there is a relationship and does not have to be directed at an individual. Bullying is characterized by an individual who targets another individual. (To read more about how workplace bullying differs from harassment, click here.)
(To view more statistics on bullying, you can view the Workplace Bullying Institute’s 2014 report here.) So what does this mean for your company?
It is clear that bullies can do some serious damage to the internal operations of your organization by causing debilitating effects on your other employees. If you’ve read our blog before, you know where we’re headed – that’s right – you need a policy in place! Implementing an anti-bullying policy at your business is a great way to nip the problem in the bud.
The first step in creating your anti-bulling policy should be to state the purpose of the policy. For example, it should state that the organization has a commitment to provide a safe, healthy work environment and strictly prohibits conduct that is intimidating, hostile, verbally or physically abusive.
It should be made clear that the policy applies to every single position at the organization, as well as at all locations, events and activities connected with the company.
You have to define exactly what your policy pertains to. You should provide a definition of bullying, along with the various aspects constitute it. Make sure to be specific! It’s is also a good idea to put a clause in the policy pertaining to “mobbing,” or bullying carried out by a group of individuals.
Employees need to be aware of how to go about with the complaint procedure if they become a victim of bullying. They should know that incidents should be reported immediately and who to report the incidents to.
Lastly, it is necessary to state the consequences (such as termination for a no-tolerance organization) that will fall onto those who commit workplace-bullying behaviors, as well as those in management positions who fail to report the incidents or carry out an investigation. So how exactly can you stop bullying from tearing apart your organization? You need to be proactive (just like with every other possible employee issue).
Interested in holding training for any of the topics we listed above or need to update your Employee Handbook to include policies such as Anti-Bullying? Integrity HR is here for you. Our staff is composed of highly experienced HR professionals bearing the titles of PHR, SPHR, and even GPHR who have been assisting companies just like yours for many years. Learn more about our training services here, our employee handbook services or just contact us here!
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