How to tackle bullying in the workplace

Bullying is most frequently associated with children. For many of us, it brings back memories of being taunted in the school playground, memories that have been pushed to the very back of our minds. However, cases of bullying have become increasingly common in the UK workplace. These cases are somehow even more humiliating and can cause untold stress and suffering to those on the receiving end.

30 million working days were lost last year (according to the Health & Safety Executive), as a result of working related illness. Much of this absenteeism can be attributed to stress, but increasingly bullying has forced employees to take drastic action. Bullying can occur between employees at a similar level, but also at a management level, where a direct abuse of authority can prove even more difficult to deal with.

Bullying involves any persistent form of abuse that makes the victim feel singled out from his/her colleagues. In the workplace, incidents of bullying are generally subtle enough for the person at the receiving end to feel unable to complain. Nevertheless, continued nip-picking or fault-finding can have serious damaging emotional, psychological and physical effects. Common symptoms include headaches, nervousness and more extreme manifestations such as alopecia and coronary problems.

In the workplace, bullying usually focuses on distorted or fabricated allegations of under-performance. Other examples include autocratic management styles, which fail to allow for personal initiative, sexual harassment and excessive workload (failing to consider additional commitments - both internal and external).

Bullies can be motivated by a number of different reasons. Despite the faade, all bullies have issues with self-confidence and low-esteem. Bullies are often jealous of other peoplesí ability, success and popularity. These types of people often feel inadequate and are unable to fulfil the duties and obligations of their position. As a result, they fear being revealed and use bullying as a tactic for displaying power.

Without doubt, certain working environments are more prone to bullying, these are typically businesses with high levels of competitiveness, a fear of redundancy/losing oneís position and lack of training/competence. However, one of the most challenging aspects of being bullied is knowing how to deal with the perpetrator. Having the courage to admit you are being intimidated by a colleague is the first step.

It is absolutely crucial that each incident is documented, including specific details such as time, date and location. The next step is to confront the bully in a calm, dispassionate manner, explaining that their treatment is not only unfair, but harmful. This is of course easier said than done, but highlighting that there is a problem is extremely important. If the bullying continues, the next step is to approach a line manager (unless this manager is the cause of the problem, in which case a superior can be contacted). Continuous bullying is a serious issue for both employer and employee and it is the responsibility of the company to resolve any conflict quickly and amicably.

Bullying in the workplace can have particularly long-lasting and far-reaching consequences, but it is important to remember that anyone can fall victim to a bully. It isnít just those who might come across as being particularly susceptible to bullies, even the most confident people can find themselves at the receiving end. It is never easy to deal with and surprisingly common. Good communication is the key, discussing the problem forces it into the open and any good company will have a procedure or better still a policy to rectify the issue.