Bullying is a situation when a person intentionally and repeatedly uses actions and words against someone to harass them physically or emotionally. This kind of behavior is generally shown by influential people to those who may feel helpless and less powerful.
Workplace bullying has become a debatable topic these days. In fact, there is a lot of pressure on lawmakers to take legislative actions against the culprits.
What is Workplace Bullying?
Bullying in the workplace can be verbal, social, psychological or physical by your employer (or some high authority) or group of people at work. Bullying can happen at any kind of workplace, despite the type. We have seen cases within small shops, cafes, community groups, restaurants, and even governmental agencies. Some kinds of workplace bullying can even be considered as criminal offences.
Some Examples of Workplace Bullying
- Someone gives you an unnecessary task that has nothing to do with your job.
- When someone ignores your opinions.
- When someone constantly blames you for problems caused by others.
- When your employer or your senior shouts at you in front of your colleagues.
- When someone threatens you with guns, knives or any kind of equipment that can be turned into a weapon and can harm you.
Effects of Workplace Bullying
Bullying inculcates the feeling of guilt among employees as a result
- They feel isolated.
- They start feeling that they don’t fit in a group.
- They feel confused and ashamed all the time.
- They feel depressed and rejected by their colleagues.
Tips to Eliminate Workplace Bullying and Improve Company Culture
Being an employer, sometimes it becomes difficult to eliminate workplace bullying and most of the employers have no idea how to deal with it. Not only can it hamper the progress of the organization, but it can also impact employees’ mental health.
So, below we have shared some effective tips to maintain a cordial environment in your company.
- Be Attentive
You should know the signs of workplace bullying. Some of the common bullying behaviors are demeaning comments, unreasonable workloads, ignoring requests and gossiping among employees. Regularly solicit feedback from employees to learn if they are comfortable and not suffering from any kind of bullying.
- Listen to the complaints
Maintain such an attitude that your employees would not hesitate to come to you if they face any kind of difficulty. An employer should follow a standard process of investigation to assess every complaint. Set up a universal disciplinary policy for the offenders.
- Train employees
Many organizations these days are taking initiatives to train their employees to prohibit, recognize, and respond to if someone behaves rudely, aggressively, or bully them at their workplace. This will help to stop bullying and lend support to victims.
- Conduct an employee opinion survey
An employee opinion survey is one of the best ways to learn if any of your employees are being bullied. It is even more beneficial to ensure anonymity as many victims of bullying may be hesitant to come forward due to fears of their identities being revealed.
These are some of the effective tips that can help you to monitor and eliminate workplace bullying and improve company culture.