Stop Your Boss from Bullying?

Hello there,

This week Globe and Mail columnist Susan Pinker wrote about “Exposing the Bullies at Work”. It seems that there is something on this topic in the news every week.

The interest in bullying is growing!

What I’m interested in is…

How do you stop a boss who is bullying you?

Most empoyers have policies and procedures for dealing with harassment and discrimination.  Discrimination is against the law but bullying seems to be in a different category.

Despite the fact that “workplace bullying is the ongoing health or career-endangering mistreatment of an employee”.

AND about 80% of bullies in the workplace are people in positions of power, e.g. our bosses…I’ve heard very few success stories.

What do I mean by success stories? I’m interested in hearing from people who have successfully taken on their bullying boss and succeeded in getting him/her (it’s usually men) demoted, disciplined or fired.

Preston Squire from Anonymous Employee  suggest the following three-point plan:

1. Name it. Calling it bullying or psychological violence makes the problem external.

2. Take time to check your physical health for signs of stress (high blood pressure?), get some counselling or support, check for violations of employer policies and labor laws (consult an HR profession and/or lawyer) and gather data showing the fiscal impact of bullying in the workplace.

3. Present your business case and evidence to the highest ranking individual at the company or agency.

Preston advises caution because, “taking the direct approach may result in undesireable and unpredictable consequences:

Of people who reported bullying in the workplace, 17 % of targets were transferred, 33 % ended up leaving voluntarily, and 37 % were terminated. In only 13 % of those cases was the bully censored, transferred or terminated.”

So…there are no easy answers…but I would love to hear some success stories. Have you taken on a bullying boss and won? What did you do that made the difference?

Thanks!

Lesley