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Whether Gordon Brown did mistreat his staff or not, one thing is for certain: the scandal has brought the topic of bullying in the workplace to our attention. Many experts believe that oppression in the office is on the rise due to the state of the economy. Managers, who are under increased pressure, are demanding more from their staff and often don’t have time to focus on the well-being of those in the office. The threat of job losses has also seen competition among colleagues increase. But when do stress and friction lead to bullying behaviour? What is bullying? Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health in Lancaster University Management School, defines bullying as “the persistent, demeaning and devaluing treatment of an individual”. In the workplace, bullying often focuses on exaggerated or false claims of underperformance. Even if veiled in humour, these negative comments can be severely undermining. Jonathon, who used to work in advertising, was constantly criticised by a boss who favoured a subtle approach. “Taken in isolation, my boss’s actions seemed more petty than vindictive. For instance, when I asked to take two weeks’ holiday he exclaimed, ‘That’s not a holiday, that’s a sabbatical’.” Professor Cooper believes that bullying is ultimately “in the eye of the beholder.” “But if at the end of the day every time I interact with you I am putting you down, or withholding resources from you, or setting unmanageable deadlines, then I am bullying you,” he advised in an interview with the Times. What makes a bully? While many of us assume that office oppressors are managers, a recent study found that employees are more likely to be bullied by their colleagues than their bosses. The survey of over 3,000 workers revealed that the majority of those who had experienced bullying in the workplace had been victimised by a workmate. One in five people ended up quitting their jobs after being tyrannized by a colleague. This highlights a serious talent retention issue – a problem that all employers should be aware of. Oppressive behaviour often results in excessive rates of staff turnover, sickness absence, stress breakdowns and early retirements. In some cases, especially those involving discrimination, bullying can lead to legal action against the firm. These are all costly consequences. Are you being bullied? If you are being mistreated by a manager, client or colleague, you may feel a lack of control over what is happening to you. Maybe you’re wary of bringing the behaviour to light in case you jeopardise your job? Or perhaps you’re not sure whether you are being bullied or not? If you feel picked on, constantly criticised, excluded from the office or unrealistically overloaded with work, you are most likely being bullied. The same applies if you’ve been unfairly blocked from a promotion or if someone is spreading rumours about you. If the taunts are based on race, sex, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or religion, then you have a case for discrimination. How to deal with a bully Talk to the tyrant: According to the Times, the best way to nip this behaviour in the bud is to approach the bully and ask them to stop. If you’d prefer not to confront them, send an email or ask a co-worker to speak on your behalf. Keep a record: It’s advisable to keep a written record of every incident in case you need to recall details at a later date. File copies of relevant e-mails and documents in a safe place. Ensure your superior is aware of the problem: Speak to someone you trust, be it your supervisor, team leader, HR manager or a trade union official. Ask them to advise you as to how you could deal with the problem informally. When it comes down to it, your employer is responsible for dealing with the situation. According to the head of employment law for LawOptions.co.uk, Will Burrows, once a bullying campaign in the workplace has been brought to their attention, employers are accountable for eradicating the problem. Hopefully, yours will be forward-thinking enough to thank you for bringing such unacceptable behaviour out into the open and deal with it immediately. With Careers and Jobs, you can view all the latest jobs, browse UK jobs by sector and keep up to date with the latest UK jobs news. You’ll also find expert career advice and help with CV writing to help land that dream job.
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