Companies Crack Down on Bullying

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have been bullied at work.

November 16, 2017

NEW YORK – The Wall Street Journal reports that incivility, “and its more extreme cousin, bullying,” is becoming a bigger problem in workplaces. And given the recent allegations of sexual harassment in Hollywood and the media, workplace behavior is under the microscope. The Journal notes that some companies are also finding, while investigating harassment claims, that “bullying and boorish behavior are more common than suspected.”

Citing data from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, the Journal writes that nearly two-thirds of Americans reported that they were bullied at work last year, up from roughly half of workers in 1998. These people reported they were “treated rudely at least once a month” by bosses or co-workers in the past year.

Sindy Warren, an employment lawyer and consultant, told the Journal that she investigated bullying at “the Midwest offices of a large, international packaged-food company” after the HR department received complaints that a business unit’s new leader was abusive to subordinates. At first, employees were reluctant to talk to her for fear of retaliation, but once they opened they “described a boss who screamed, swore and belittled colleagues publicly,” she said. While Warren will often recommend coaching for workplace bullies, in this instance she advised that the company fire the executive; too much damage had been done for that individual to lead effectively.

Many managers often realize that there is a fine line between “a tough boss who gets results” and one that is bullying. Human resources consultant Fran Sepler told the news source that feedback focused exclusively on improving an employee’s conduct or quality of work will rarely be seen as bullying. “It’s okay to set high standards and reinforce those standards,” she says.

At the 2014 NACS HR Forum, bullying in the workplace elicited a lot of feedback from the group, mostly on how to define it. They also discussed how HR can protect team members who encounter a bullying situation.

In a September 2014 NACS Magazine article, “Sticks and Stones,” Becca Boyd, human resources director at Powell, Tennessee-based Weigel’s Stores, found that while conducting research on workplace violence, bullying kept coming up. “I saw it as a call to action. We need to create a good work environment where people are respected and treated the way they want to be treated. Bullying behaviors are part of what causes turnover,” she said. “We need to pay attention.”

A strong, positive culture helps ward off workplace bullying, said Bob Graczyk, vice president of human resources at Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based QuickChek Corporation. The retailer forbids bullying and also has a no-profanity policy in writing in our company handbook. “We do not tolerate any kind of behavior against other employees. We teach that from day one to all our new crew members,” he said.

The policy contributes to a level of civility that employees generally appreciate, Graczyk said. “It makes it a very comfortable workplace; makes you feel accepted. Our workforce today is so diverse. We keep that in mind.”

If a QuickChek employee makes a complaint about being bullied, Graczyk said it is investigated just like any other type of harassment complaint and generally is resolved at the store level. “He said/she said situations don’t always lead to a clear resolution, but our approach is if somebody is complaining, is there is some sense of truth,” he said. If, in the end there is no clear proof, “we warn the people involved.” If the bullying is determined to have occurred, depending on the severity, it can lead to termination.

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