Workplace Bullying: An Old Problem, but a New Management Concern Dr. Matthew Matusiak

1. Workplace Bullying: An Old Problem, but a New Management Concern Dr. Matthew Matusiak Workplace bullying is an Epidemic.(Workplace Bully Institute, 2007)

2. Learning Objective • Define workplace bullying and its impact on employees • Describe current workplace trend in the United States • Analyze how front line supervisors impact workplace bullying • Analyze the impact of workplace bullying on the employee and corporation

3. A Problem with Multiple Names • What do researchers call this problem and why? • Workplace bullying(Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007) • Employee emotional abuse(Lutgen_Sandvik 2003) • Workplace aggression(Baron and Newman 1998) • Workplace mistreatment(Price 1995) • Verbal abuse(Cox 1999) • Workplace harassment(Bjorkqvist, Osterman and Hjelt-Back 1994) • Psychological abuse(Sheenan, et. al 1990)

4. Is Bullying a Problem in the Workplace? • The issue of Workplace Bullying is attracting more attention on the part of researchers across the globe (Cowie, et. al 2002). • Anecdotal evidence on Workplace Bullying is found in the business sector, while bullying in children dominates the research in the social sciences(Rayner 1997). • Many discrepancies between the “subjective perceptions and interpretations of the bullying experience often exist between bullies, victims and co-workers”(Jennifer, Cowie and Ananiadou 2003, 491). • Bullying is much a matter of perception, than actual intention or behavioral action

5. Some key facts • Workplace Bullying is an Epidemic • 37% of American workers (54 million people) have been bullied at work(Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007) • 90% of all employees had experienced some form of mistreatment in the workplace(Yamada 2007) • Bullying is 4 times more prevalent than illegal forms of “harassment” (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007) • American employers can and do ignore bullying • 62% of the cases, when made aware of the problem, employers worsen the problem or simply did nothing to stop it (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007)

6. More Facts • 72% of those performing the bullying were in positions of authority of the one being bullied • Geography of people who have had bullying is: • West – 41% (22.2 Million Employees) • South – 38% (20.5 Million Employees) • East – 35% (18.9 Million Employees) • Central – 26% (14 Million Employees) (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007)

7. Definition of Workplace Bullying • US Consensus Definition • May be defined as a deliberately aggressive “course of conduct” performed to exercise power over another person by causing that person physical or psychological harm (Widener Law Journal, 2006) • Has three basic components • The delivery of harmful behaviors is deliberate • The behavior is designed to cause the person harm, and • The behavior is aimed to reach the other person with certainty

8. Definition of Workplace Bullying • Europe • Many countries have invest time and research into this problem • Scandinavia has set the standard on what research is acceptable and what workplace bullying is • The definitions of Workplace Bullying in Europe similarly include actions that are persistent and continuous having negative effects on the victims(Rayner 1997)

9. Definition of Workplace Bullying • Einarsen and colleagues proposed the most comprehensive definition of Workplace Bullying having several factors that all must be present: • bullying behavior must be harassing, offending, socially exclusive or have a negative effect on the target • occur repeatedly and often (e.g. weekly for more than 6 months, and • a process that puts the victim in an inferior position in the organization(Einarsen, et al 2003) • “a conflict cannot be called bullying if the incident is an isolated event or if two parties of approximately equal ‘strength’ are in conflict”(Einarsen, et al 2003, 15)

10. Behaviors of Bullies • Typically Broken in Categories • Threat to personal status • Threat to professional status • Threat of isolation • Threat of unrealistic workload • Threat of destructive workplace

11. Behaviors of Bullies • Threat to Personal Status • Have you had a situation where you were humiliated in public? • Have you had comments made belittling your feelings or opinions? • Have you had offensive remarks, name-calling, insults or intimidation made toward you? • Have you had the silent treatment; refusal to communicate and avoidance of eye contact made toward you? • Have you had lies or misperceptions told about you to others in your employment organization?

12. Behaviors of Bullies • Threat to Professional Status • Have you had accusation about a lack of effort or commitment? • Have you had comments made that (1) constantly criticize you, (2) subject of nit-picking trivial facts or (3) trivial fault finding of comments or situations you were involved with in your organization? • Have you had your sense of professional judgment questioned? • Have you had someone shout loudly at you in front of others? • Have you received sneers from co-workers or managers?

13. Behaviors of Bullies • Threat of Isolation • Have you had situations where you were physically or socially exclusion from department events, such as use of break room with others present, no being allowed to express opinions while others can express opinions, etc.? • Have you had situations that prevented access to opportunities such as training events, promotions, time-off for vacations, etc.? • Have you had situations where information was purposefully withheld from you to do you harm (emotion or physical)? • Have you had situation where you were isolated or excluded by co-workers or management or treated as non-existent? • Have you had situations where co-workers or management refuse to speak with you or stop speaking when you enter the room?

14. Behaviors of Bullies • Threat of an Unrealistic Workload • Have you had situations where you were set unrealistic goals which are unachievable and which change without reason or notice? • Have you had unnecessary interruptions to work? • Have you had situation where you were given insulting tasks, not at the level of other co-workers? • Have you had situations where much of your work taken away to be replaced with inappropriate menial jobs? • Have you had situation where your work was judged incorrectly or in an insulting manner?

15. Behaviors of Bullies • Threat of Destructive Workplace • Have you had situations where you did not received credit to you, specifically when credit is due? • Have you had situations where it was failed to recognize your accomplishments to department, team, etc? • Have you had situations where an individual failed to give clear and accurate assignments/directions?

16. Behaviors of Bullies • Can be separated into categories: • Verbal • Non-verbal • Can also be describe in terms of severity • Light • Moderate • Severe • Extreme (Widener Law Journal, 2006)

17. Targets for the Bullies • Can be anyone in the department • Bullies typically target a weaker person or one that is different • Remember High School or playground bullies? • Typically, the characteristic are: • 40-ish • Highly educated (not necessarily meaning educational degrees) • Veteran employee (Widener Law Journal, 2006)

18. Cost of Bullying Behaviors • The cost of Workplace Bullying is two fold: • the harm it has on employees, and • the work an employer must do to prohibit it • One federal study suggested bullying resulted “in a cost of more than $180 million in lost time and productivity”(Yamada 2007 2) • Excessive use of sick time • Inability to work from stress over incidents or possible incidents

19. Cost of Bullying Behaviors • In 1998, another report from the University of North Carolina suggested that the targets of Workplace Bullying: • 22% decrease in work production • 28% lost work time to avoid the person causing them harm, and • 12% left their employment rather than suffering through the torments and emotional issues(Yamada 2007)

20. Employees are Revolting (taking back their lives) • First known legal case was in Indianapolis in 2005 (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2008) • Physician was accused of continued bullying of staff at hospital • An employee sued employer and physician in civil court • Case was confirmed by trial in 2006 (State of Indiana, 2006) • Court found in favor of employee • Awarded $325,000.00 in compensation to employee • Indiana Supreme Court affirmed lower court ruling in 2008 (State of Indiana, 2008)

21. Employees are Revolting (taking back their lives) States are beginning to consider laws against workplace bullying Currently 15 states are working on or introduced legislation to protect workers (states in red have active legislation in 2009) California Connecticut Hawaii Kansas Illinois (new in 2009) Massachusetts Missouri Montana New Jersey New York Oklahoma Oregon Utah (new in 2009) Vermont Washington

22. Employees, sticky widget • Employers are opposing legislation because they says there is already protections in place • Protections are illegal harassment, Civil Rights laws, discrimination, etc. • However, only applies to those in a protected group (race, gender, age, etc.) • What about those not in a protected group? • 54% of those being bullied were not in a protected group • Most had no legal recourse (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007)

23. But it is not happening in my department (profession), Right? The ULM Workplace Bullying (Health Professions) Pilot Study

24. University of Louisiana at Monroe, Pilot Study • Surveyed the health professions graduates from 2002-2007 (29% responded) • 38% reported exposure to bullying behaviors in their workplace • 13% witnessed bullying • 25% experienced bullying personally • Most types of bullying behaviors happened at least once a month • Threat of an Unrealistic Workload (mainly daily)

25. University of Louisiana at Monroe, Pilot Study • Professions seeing highest rates of bullying • Dental Hygiene (50%) • Nursing (42%) • Clinical Laboratory Science (42%) • Highest form/type of bullying reported • Threat of a Destabilized Workplace (49.9%) • Thread to Personal Status (49.0%) • Threat to Professional Status (47.2%) • Impact on Employees • 3% of the respondents reported active job searches and workplace bullying was main reason reported

26. Impact on Employees Witnessing or Receiving Mistreatment – Zogby Survey • 45% of those bullied in a survey stated • They had stress-related health complications • Psychological issues (PTSD, depression, etc.) • Physical issues (Acting violently toward aggressor, injuries from aggressor, etc.) (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007) • Length of bullying • 55% reported more than 6 months • 33% report more than 1 year (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007)

27. How did the mistreatment stop? – Zogby Survey • 77% of the time, the person being mistreatment lost their job • Estimated turn over rate in the US from bullying rated discharges is 28 million American workers (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007) • 23% of the time did the aggressor have some negative action taken against them (Zogby Survey - Workplace Bullying Institute, 2007)

28. What does this mean to your department? • Higher turn over rate • Higher morale problems • Higher “abuse” of sick time • Loss of productivity • Loss of stability • Loss of teamwork

29. Common Employer Mistakes that Encourage Bullying • Do not know how to identify hostile workplace • Not aware of their legal responsibility to prevent a hostile workplace • Believe harassment or hostile workplace is only a Post Office problem • Not elsewhere in US workforce • Not in my employer • Believe harassment policies alone will protect employees

30. Common Employer Mistakes that Encourage Bullying • Fear getting involved in employees’ personal issues • This is personality conflicts between A and B • Negligent in doing background checks • Many are required to perform, many do not • Rely on generic profiles and conventional wisdom to predict who might become violent at work • How many still perform personality profiles on employees? • Believe violence, harassment, discrimination, intimidation and other elements of hostile workplace cannot be prevented (McClure and Associates, 2003)

31. What can be done about it? • Learn to recognize employee mistreatment • Take action when action is needed • 55% of bullies are men, 45% of women • 57% of women are bullied • Jumps to 71% when a women is their supervisor • Typically a preference towards same-gender harassment exists • Women prefer to bully a woman 2.5 time higher than bullying a man • Men bully men slightly more than bullying women • Bullies do not operate alone • 68% start as solo harassers, but the longer the bully is allowed to continue, the more people they pull into their process

32. What can be done about it? • Do not be a mistreating boss! • Remember 72% of those doing the mistreatment are in positions of authority • Bullies are usually supported by management, human resources and peers 37% of the time • Use disciplinary procedures to stop mistreatment of employees • Most companies have a “code of conduct” • Typically companies fail to act 62% of the time • Set the example on what you expect in your department • Do not allow subordinates in positions of authority to abuse staff

33. Questions?