Workplace bullying does exist

THE EDITOR: As a parent, I have had several conversations with my teenager explaining what should be done when he encounters a bully. As a part-time lecturer to several young adults, I have taught my students how to treat with sexual harassment in the workplace as well as observing signs of physical, sexual and mental abuse of their patients.

However, there are no guidelines as to how to treat workplace bullying. No-one believes adults can be bullied by adults, nor that bullying exists at the workplace.

The workplace bullies may not only be co-workers but can be superiors and supervisors. Workplace bullying may be any "offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the person being bullied."

Oftentimes it is a pattern of behaviour and occurs repeatedly and persistently over time.

Bullying is deliberately intended to cause distress and fear in the intended victim. It is a deliberate action and although the perpetrator may say they meant no harm when reprimanded, bullying involves planned negative intent.

An adult who first encounters workplace bullying, especially at the hands of a line manager, is initially afraid to speak out about it and may become full of self-doubt.

Workplace bullying can make an employee miserable, increasingly worried and anxious about going to work and unsure of their own abilities. It can cause undue stress to the person being bullied, damage his/her self-esteem, impair cognitive function and threaten emotional and physical health.

Workplace bullying also has an impact on those who are witnesses to the bullying. Witnesses fear facing similar fate, feel helpless and disempowered.

Management often treats with workplace bullying in the following manner:

1. Ignores the complaint of the person being bullied.

2. Ignores/condones the action of the perpetrator as it is their usual behaviour.

3. Rewards the action of the perpetrator and confuses their action as being assertive.

4. Should the perpetrator be a manager, associates this bullying tactic as autocratic management style.

Reports of workplace bullying are usually in vain as no clear guidelines have been established to treat the problem in TT.

LU-ANN CATO-DANIEL

via e-mail