Prevent Bullying in Your Workplace Some people that were bullies on the playground stay bullies until they are grown up and working in the office. Their harassment should be taken seriously and if need be, addressed by with law enforcement. If there are bullies in your workplace, here’s what you can do to deal with it.
Communicate to them Don’t be embarrassed to come out and say it. Maybe your bully does not realize that what he or she is saying is hurting your feelings. Ask them to stop because what they say and do is either hurtful, distracting, or makes you uncomfortable. It is never inappropriate to say how you are feeling about situations happening in the workplace. After you have talked, most bullies will back off.
Complain to Management If they do not take the hint, hint a little stronger. Go to your higher-ups and make a former complaint, including any details about what they said or did that could be seen as bullying and inform them that you already talked to the bully yourself about making it stop. Human Resources should be notified of any behavior like this.
Record It Make a record of any interactions and incidents with the bully. Keep track of the time, date, place, and what was done or said, no matter how small and insignificant. You never know when little details may come in handy. If you live in a one-party consent state you are legally entitled to record any encounters and conversations between the two of you without consent of the other party.
Seek Others It is comforting to know that you are never alone. There are people surrounding you everywhere, and these people that work with you may have either witnessed a bullying incident or have also been recipients of bullying from the same person. Speak to them about their situation and perspective on the situation.
Compliance Training After consulting with your management, it would be most effective to create a work-based compliance training of how to treat and not to treat fellow employees. Create a set of rules and boundaries for the workplace that will be enforced. This way, if their actions can in any way be construed as just joking, they will still have to be held accountable for their actions.
Consult with an Attorney If your management is not able to do anything about the bullying and it continues to go on, you should seek legal assistance. They are experienced in these types of cases and know how to put an end to it quickly and efficiently. If you are part of a protected class, you may be able to get compensation or protection from the bully. Consult with an attorney to know exactly what you are within your right to do. Bullies in the workplace are not to be underestimated. Nothing, not even your job is worth the damage they can do to you physically and even psychologically. Do not hesitate to take action against bullies before anything they do becomes too serious. Photo Credit: 3.bp.blogspot.com, bullying-escolar