Reduce The Impact Of Bullying

Draw up and implement a sound violence prevention strategy to reduce or eliminate workplace bullying.

Research shows that bullied employees spend between 10% and 52% of their time at work defending themselves and networking for support, thinking about the situation, being demotivated and stressed, not to mention taking sick leave due to stress-related illnesses. Workplace bullying and stress have an impact on the bottom line.

< Research world-wide indicates that 1.5 to 3.5% of a country’s GDP is lost because of stress and bullying in < the workplace (www.worktrauma.org). Mayhew and Chappel (2007) < report that international research has demonstrated that exposure to < violence while working has direct effects on the psychological well-being of employees. According < to Bowman et al (2009), these < effects include:

stress and anxiety (Wieclaw et al 2006);
negative mood, psychosomatic complaints and depression (Barling, 2006);
post-traumatic stress disorder (Mayhew & Chappell, 2007); depression (Marais, Van der Spuy, and Rontsch, 2002);
stress related symptoms and significan levels of thoughts of suicide (Storm 2003);
absenteeism; and direct impact on the GDP and economy of the country.

Moreover, although to date comparatively less attention has been paid to organisational effects, bullying has successfully been linked to job- related wellbeing.

In a study among nurses, Quine (2001) found that targets of bullying reported significantly lower levels of job satisfaction and significantly higher levels of propensity to leave their job.

Similarly, Bowling and Beehr (2006) in a meta-analysis revealed that bullying was negatively associated with job satisfaction and organisational commitment.

Recently, employing a two-wave full-panel design with a two- year time lag among 1,775 respondents, Nielsen, Matthiesen, Hetland, and Einarsen (2008) observed a significant relationship between bullying and both increased mental health problems and decreased job satisfaction. Similarly,

Tepper, Duffy, Hoobler, and Ensley (2004) found that abusive behaviour from supervisors at Time 1 had a negative impact on job satisfaction seven months later. In another study, Kivima ̈ki et al (2004) showed that bullying was associated with diagnosed fibromyalgia.

Several studies, moreover, revealed cross- lagged effects of harassment at work on drinking problems (Freels, Richman and Rospenda, 2005; Rospenda, Fujishiro, Shannon and Richman, 2008; Rospenda, Richman, Wislar and Flaherty, 2000).

For organisations, workplace bullying may directly cost the organisation in terms of litigation fees, early retirement pay-outs, long-term absenteeism, and workers’ compensation and counselling costs (Kieseker and Marchant, 1999).

Further, workplace bullying indirectly impacts on organisations through diminished employee morale, productivity, and motivation, and increased absenteeism and turnover (Hoel, Einarsen and Cooper, 200).

How to handle it

According to Rob and Diana (www. ideate.co.za):

Re-visit the company disciplinary codes and company policies to ensure that harassment, violence and examples of unacceptable behaviour are covered;
Educate staff on what bullying is, that it is a serious matter, will not be tolerated, and explain who they can report to for help;
Monitor any absence and investigate the reasons for it;
Watch for behavioural changes in staff – a lack of confidence, tiredness, loss of motivation and so on;
If necessary, send staff on assertiveness courses and training in conflict management;
Managers need to be vigilant. If a manager witnesses any form of bullying or victimisation or receives a complaint from a staff member, it needs to be treated seriously, and addressed confidentially and quickly;
In the presence of others (preferably another manager or shop steward), tell the person that their behaviour is unacceptable and firmly instruct them to stop it. Note the date, time and details of the event, who witnessed the incident and what the outcome and required behaviour is – you may need this information later, should the bullying be repeated;
Similarly, any victim of bullying has the right to demand that the person stop any behaviour they find offensive or demeaning. A victim should only respond when s/he has others to witness the conversation;
Victims should minimise, if not prevent, opportunities for the bully to be alone with them;
On a practical front, bullies stop maltreating people when they are exposed. When their popularity is at stake because their actions are no longer condoned or appreciated by the audience or people they respect, the abusive behaviour soon dwindles;
Where bullies disregard requests from victims; (or instructions from managers) to stop their unacceptable actions, then it’s time for more formal action. Staff should take the matter to their superior or human resources department. If necessary, they should use the Grievance procedures in place; and
Managers should take the disciplinary steps relevant to the situation.

Conclusion

Bond et al (2010) conclude that the organisation must take preventative steps by developing an organisational climate that is committed to enacting policies, practices, and procedures, and must also take quick remedial action to prevent conflict situations from escalating into a bullying process.

Owman et al (2009) advise that efforts to understand, manage and ultimately prevent workplace violence should therefore form a more visible part of a comprehensive violence prevention strategy in South Africa.

References

Beale (2001);
Randall (2001:17);
Hoel and Cooper (2001); and Bowman, Bhamjee, Eagle and Crafford (2009:300). (HRf)