Extract from Helen Christina's Interview with BHP Business Solutions (November 2007)
Q&A - BEATING THE BULLIES
Bullying costs employers 80 million working days and up to £2 billion in lost revenue each year, according to the Health and Safety Executive. In addition to these losses, you could be held legally responsible if you fail to tackle bullying in the workplace
Former human resources director and author of Bully Boss, Helen Christina (HC), speaks to Afsheen Latif about her personal experiences of bullying and how to prevent it in the workplace.
What is workplace bullying?
HC: Workplace bullying is the display of persistent and intentional negative behaviour against an individual within a working environment. The drip-feed effect of being shouted at, criticised and called names, for example, amounts to bullying if it’s excessive and constant. Bullying can also be more subtle – excluding or ignoring someone, or demeaning them by the use of unnecessary put downs. The list is endless.
What type of bullying did you experience?
HC: I was criticised for just about everything; my bully boss’s intention was to undermine my very existence in the workplace. It caused my confidence to plummet and my self-esteem to hit rock bottom. I was demotivated and frustrated. Physically, I became very tired. Bullying in any environment eventually wears you down.
What are employers’ legal obligations?
HC: Employers can be held liable for the acts and omissions of their employees. There is no specific anti-bullying law and employees usually bring complaints under other legislation. Employers and employees have a common law duty of care to promote a safe and healthy working environment for all, which includes looking out for each other’s physical and psychological well-being. There is an implied term of trust within a contract of employment.
How can employers prevent bullying in the workplace?
HC: Employers need to promote positive company values, with commitment driven from the top. Workplace policies should be fair and consistent, and staff should be made aware of what is and is not acceptable behaviour at work. There should be zero tolerance of workplace bullying and all staff should have access to training in communication and behavioural skills. An effective induction programme can go a long way. Excellent managers get things done through positive leadership, which is about promoting good employee relations with fair mechanisms in place for resolving workplace conflict effectively.
What risks do employers face if they fail to act on bullying?
HC: There are potential legal costs if an employee decides to seek legal redress. And let’s not forget the hidden costs – the lost productivity, higher levels of sickness absence, low morale and bad press. The bottom line is that businesses that do nothing to tackle bullying will be affected in some way.