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Mean Girls and Bad BoysDealing with Bullies in the Workplace

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Jodi Schafer, SPHRHuman Resource Management Services517/974-8033www.HRMServices.biz

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Agenda

• Defining bullying• Identifying bullying• Harassment verses bullying•Managing a bully•Working for a bully

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What is a bullying?• Bullying is the intimidation or tormenting of

others in the work place. • It is generally emotional and includes behaviors

that undermine, intimidate, embarrass, or humiliate.

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What is bullying?

Bullying is defined by the Workplace Bullying Institute as:• “Repeated, health harming abusive conduct

committed by bosses and co-workers.” • “Repeated mistreatment: sabotage by others

that prevented work from getting done. Verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation and humiliation.”

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Why bully?

It is about power and control!• To get people to do what they want• They want to control the people they bully• They want to control the people they don’t bully

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Who do they bully?• Employees who are a threat to their power• Employees who are not a threat to their power• Employees who they don’t like• Employees who they do like

Essentially – bullies bully who ever they want to.

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Learned Behavior

Question: Where do bullies go when they graduate from high school?

THE WORKPLACE!

• Bullying is learned behavior that has been proven successful.• It starts young, is honed in middle school and

high school and perfected in the work place.

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Bullying Behaviors• False accusations• Shunning a person• Non-verbal intimidating behaviors• Staring• Mocking• Rolling of eyes

• Hyper-critical• Withholding of information

Often the behaviors are not openly aggressive.8

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Bullying StatisticsIf you want to know the extent of a problem - look at the statistics.• A survey conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute

in 2014:• 48% of workers are affected by bullying (bullied and

witnessed)• 69% of bullies are men• 60% of the workers bullied are women (average

when combining male and female bullies)• 68% is female on female bullying

• A survey conducted by Harris revealed that only 34% of women reported being bullied

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Employers’ Reactions to Bullying

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Coworkers’ Reactions to Bullying

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Is this bullying?• A long term employee plays practical jokes on new

employees that are embarrassing and humiliating to the new employee.

• An employee is responsible for training, but they conveniently leave out important aspects of the process, causing the trainee to complete the process incorrectly.

• An employee hoards the best equipment and threatens anyone who tries to use it.

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Bullying vs. Harassment

Harassment is a legal definition that is based upon PROTECTED CLASSIFICATIONS.

Harassment/Sexual Harassment laws make it illegal to engage in conduct that substantially

interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating,

hostile, or offensive working environment.

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Protected Classifications

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• Gender• Race• National Origin• Color• Religion• Age• Disability (mental and physical)• Veteran Status• Pregnancy• Genetic Information

Same as Federal PLUS:• Height • Weight• Marital or Family Status

Federal Laws Michigan Law – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act

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Harassment • Every employer must have a policy that

addresses harassment• Must include reporting• Must conduct an investigation• Easier to address

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Bullying is ‘Legal Harassment’• Harassment is bullying that attacks a person on

the basis of their protected classification.• Gender• Religion• National Origin, etc…

• Because typical bullying behavior is not related to an employee’s protected classification, essentially employers do not have a legal liability.

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Bullying impacts the workplace• Lost productivity• Turnover• High absenteeism of the victims• Recruiting• Lost communication

Negative outcomes for targets of bullying vs. perpetrators is 4:1.

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Why do manager keep bullies?• They tend to give the illusion that they are the

best performer• They have created an environment that is toxic

which impacts the productivity of the staff being bullied

• They control the workers and thus control the message to leadership• Bullies tend to have an “entourage” who

protect the bully – lest they be bullied• Managers are also bullied 18

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Corporate policy• A policy requiring cooperation, respectful

communication and treatment of others.• A policy addressing threatening or intimidating

behavior, whether direct of implied.• A policy addressing use of social media to

communicate to co-workers, not allowing disparaging or threatening comments to be made about co-workers, mangers, etc.• A policy that allows employees options to advise

leadership of the bullying behavior in a manner that will not result in any retaliation.

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Managing a bully• Establish standards of conduct for your staff and

require compliance• Cooperative behavior• Respectful communication• Honesty

• Hold employees accountable to uphold these standards• Reinforce good behavior• Address violations

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Managing a bully• Know that the bullying is happening• Determine if there is a policy violation• Is this harassment?• Is this a threat?• Direct• Implied

• What is the impact of the bullying on the health of the bullied? • Physical• Mental 21

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Pay Attention

• Mangers must first be aware• Keep yourself accessible• The behavior is going on right under your nose• Watch for signs• The bully controls the work environment• The workforce is divided• Some employees say nothing• Turnover of newly hired staff

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Pay Attention • Take complaints seriously• Investigate• Ask questions and corroborate the statements

• Assure protection from retaliation for the:• Complaining employee• Co-worker• Witnesses

Follow through with discipline if retaliation of any kind occurs

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Address the behavior – of the bully

Two tiered approach: Tier one• From a coaching perspective to initiate a change

in behavior• Ask the employee• What do you gain from the SPECIFIC ACT?• What will you lose from the SPECIFIC ACT?• Where do you go from here?

• Avoid using the term “bullying” 24

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Address the behavior – of the bully

Tier two• From a disciplinary perspective that will result in

consequences for continuing the behavior• Formal discipline• Potential for termination

• Start the paper trail – you will need it.• If anyone is going to sue you it will be the bully.

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Address the behavior – of the employee being bullied• Show support for them• Let them know you will not tolerate the behavior

of the bully• Maintain open communication • Teach them how to stand up to bully• Remember – they may not be the most assertive

of employees

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Prevention Methods• Address in the hiring process• Communicate the policy • Address violations immediately• Swiftly and decisively

• Model the behavior you expect• Be accessible • Take complaints seriously• Educate your staff, manager, supervisors

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Potential Legal Options

•Michigan‘s anti-stalking law prohibits the “ willful course of conduct that would cause a reasonable

person to feel terrorized, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested, and in that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized frightened, intimidated,

threatened, harassed or molested.”• Criminal law vs. Civil law

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Future Laws

Legal remedies• May increase the liability for companies• May result in false claims

I prefer to handle from a management perspective

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Bully Boss vs. Demanding Boss

Bully:• It’s about them• They hold on to

information and knowledge• They take all the

credit• They don’t want you

to be better than them

Demanding:• It’s about the job• You gain information

and knowledge• They don’t care

about credit• It’s about the job,

they don’t care as long as the work is done right 30

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Demanding Bosses• Are equally hard on everyone• Do not make it personal• Focused on getting the job done right• Focused on profit, growth, customer service, etc.• Generally acts without malice

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When your boss/manager is a bully

• Document the incident(s) • Discuss the concerns directly with him or her• Understand it will do no good!

• Document the response• Continue to document• Then take it to higher powers – • Knowing it may backfire…

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When your boss/manager is a bully

• Do not allow it to control your life• Know that you are just one in a long list of

bullied employees • Remember you did nothing to deserve this • Look for a job elsewhere

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What can you do?

Why do bullies bully? • Because it works• Because management allows it• Because it gives them power• Because it gives them control

DO NOT LET IT WORK!• Treat employees with respect at all times• Do not allow employees to bully• Listen and act on complaints 34

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Sources• Results of the 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying

Survey, www.workplacebullying.org• Dealing with Workplace Bullies, SHRM,

Publications, Legal Report, July 1, 2011• Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior:

What Everyone Needs to Know. Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. April 2011• Tough Boss or Workplace Bully? Teresa Daniel,

H.R. Magazine, Vol 54. No. 6 June 1, 200935