Workplace Bullying - Does Your Office Need an Intervention?

From the HBR blog article:

... many organizations are bastions of dysfunction, where overwork and stress fuel negative and aggressive behaviors. For example, take bullying — one of those behaviors which tends to spike up during stressful times. One recent study states, "37% of the U.S. workforce (an est. 54 million Americans) report being bullied at work; an additional 12% witness it. 49% of workers. Simultaneously 45% report neither experiencing nor witnessing bullying. Hence, a silent epidemic."

Canadian HR types, don't get smug.

Considering that the actual study results broke down like this: "37% of workers have been bullied: 13% currently and 24% previously" the Canadian statistics are even less heartening. From Stats Canada: 32% of employees do not feel supported by coworkers in their work efforts, and 15% are experiencing actual conflict with coworkers. (Have you seen the Stress panel of the Why Workplace Wellness cartoons?)

Some of the starting points suggested by the HBR team to ameliorate the situation:

• Schedule one-on-one confidential chats that will create a safe space for opening up the dialogue;
• Work at changing up the habitual interactions between coworkers;
• Teach people coping skills to reduce the fight or flight response triggered by stressful situations;

and the most important item: don't just talk, change.

We've also covered this topic before in the Wellergize blog: Workplace deaths brings coworker conflict, mental health issues to the fore, with a few other tips.

Read the full Harvard Business Review article at the link.

Source
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Posted by: gisela on 2009-12-19 01:49:20

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