Bullying in the Workplace

Bullying in the workplace is one of the most significant challenges facing companies today. According to the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention nearly half (49%) of all workers in the United States have been a victim or witnessed abusive behavior towards an employee (www.workplacebullying.org). Bullying in the workplace is similar to childhood bullying, but workplace bullies often operate within established policies of their companies. They commit deliberate acts against employees or co-workers disrupting the workplace. Bullies undermine the goals of the organization and create a hostile work environment for all employees. During my career I have crossed paths with several bullies in the workplace. I have been a victim and a witness to these attacks several times. Being exposed to these situations negatively impacted my ability to perform my assigned tasks. One of the biggest regrets of my career was not reporting this harassment and exposing this individual and their actions. It is the responsibility of management to eliminate these incidents and provide a healthy work environment for all employees. It is also the responsibility of the employees to report these forms of harassment through the proper channels in their organization. That being said several companies do not have a formal structure for dealing with bullies in the workplace. It is the responsibility of the organization to develop a work environment free of bullying in the workplace. Defining bullying in the workplace is difficult. Some experts feel that any harmful activities or behavior by management should be considered a type of bullying. Workplace bullying can be defined “any disrespectful and harmful behavior towards a co-worker or subordinate.” (www.bullyonline.org) The Project for Wellness and Worklife defines workplace bullying as “a combination of tactics in which numerous types of hostile communication and behavior are used.” (www.humancommunication.clas.asu.edu) Gary

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