_____
SAFETY AND HEALTH ALERTS AND GUIDANCE
HAZING AND INITIATIONS
WHAT IS HAZING? Initiation practices such as hazing are experiences new workers may go through to be recognised and accepted as part of the group. These are not related to the inherent requirements of the job. Hazing commonly involves negative, humiliating or distressing experiences for new workers and can result in physical and psychological harm to health. Examples include: •• •• •• ••
practical jokes horseplay physical assaults requirement to endure hardships (such as staying awake, menial tasks, physical labour) •• forced or required consumption of alcohol or other substances •• coercion to do illegal activities. As hazing and initiation practices are usually targeted, repeated, unreasonable and inappropriate behaviours, they are forms of bullying.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF HAZING? Recent research by Thomas and Meglich (2019) compared hazing with the onboarding of new employees. Results indicate onboarding relates primarily to desirable outcomes like engagement, perceived support, wellbeing, and hazing relates primarily to undesirable outcomes like turnover intention and strain.
| 4 | ThinkSafe vol. 2 no. 1 January 2020
As hazing is a form of workplace bullying, the cost to organisations and individuals is well known. SafeWork Australia reports that approximately 6 per cent of workers' compensation claims are for workrelated mental health conditions and 27 per cent of those claims are for workplace harassment and bullying. The number of workers' compensation claims for workplace bullying are insignificant in comparison to all other workers' compensation claims. When the costs of claims and duration of time off work are compared, the importance of addressing hazards such as workplace bullying and hazing becomes clear. SafeWork Australia reports that the average compensation payment per claim for a work-related mental health condition is $24,500 compared to $9,000 for all claims, and the average time off work is 15.3 weeks compared to 5.5 weeks for all claims. In a recent court proceeding in Australia, a worker was compensated significantly after being subjected to assaults, sexual harassment, bullying and threats of sexual assault. In 2017, an electrical company was fined after two employees doused an apprentice in flammable liquid and set his shirt on fire. The indirect costs of work-related mental health conditions are far reaching and difficult to estimate. When a worker experiences psychological harm to health from work, it can affect their work performance, team members, family and community.
