McKinney Execublog

It would be interesting to know to what level workplace bullying is experienced in Korea. I know that it exists to some degree as I have witnessed it firsthand. I have seen public humiliation with the intention of causing the individuals to lose face and to intimidate them. I have also seen in Korea where a company no longer needed an employee so they shunned and humiliated them. They took their desk and computer away from them as well as their job title and stopped giving them work. They did this because they had no justifiable reason to terminate them. This was their way of getting them to quit on their own.

Have other people had experience with it? Is there a different take on what constitutes bullying and what the responses should be? One good definition provided by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is, “Workplace bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behavior that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people.” I suggest that our immediate response should be to provide a written code of conduct. Train and document our training on bullying in the workplace, and establish a ZERO tolerance policy.

Time to stop workplace bullies from winning

Special to Financial Post  Dec 8, 2011 – 3:45 PM ET

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/12/08/time-to-stop-workplace-bullies-from-winning/

By David A. Whitten

A recent national survey conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada found, when it comes to their children, what parents worry about most is protecting their daughters and sons against bullies.

This study found that 62% of parents believe instilling sufficient confidence to stand up to abusers is this country’s top parenting priority.

One reason they are so determined to bully-proof their children might well be their experience at work. Workplaces are as brutal as ever and getting worse because of the tough economy. With jobs and promotions in short supply and organizations prioritizing results over all other considerations, bullies in supervisory roles are more motivated and freer than ever to target their victims.

Canadian research into the extent of workplace bullying by abusive managers is meager. But a 2010 study by the U.S.-based Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) found 35% of U.S. employees have been bullied, and 50% say they have either experienced abuse or witnessed it. The study shows workplaces are growing more toxic, particularly for women, with 58% of all bullying victims being female, and that women suffer most at the hands of other women. Eighty per cent of female victims say their abuser was female. Male predators are still in the majority at 62%, but there is clearly no glass ceiling for bullies.

The sad fact is the bullies are winning because too many senior executives and human resource departments condone workplace abuse as hard management. Not surprisingly, the majority of victims find themselves alone and isolated. To make matters worse, going to court is equally intimidating. Legally, charges of harassment are judged objectively. Judges base their decisions on how they think a normal person would react to the abuse described. If the complainant is deemed to have a weaker-than-average disposition, additional damages will not be forthcoming. Also the courts typically demand documented medical evidence of psychological or health related injury.

The victim’s best defense is an unemotional, fact-based paper trail. At every instance of abuse a written response should be sent to the abuser, copying the bully’s boss and human resources. The victim should also advise a physician or counselor early that they are being placed under great stress at work by an abusive manager. This is critical to ensuring that health and psychological damage is carefully chronicled.

There is also injury to organizations. The goal of the abusive boss is control and self-advancement, not improving performance. Bullies typically target high-potential rivals, particularly those who have the very consensus and team-building skills they lack and organizations need to achieve performance gains in today’s tough business environment. The bottom line: when a bully strikes, organizations lose valuable human capital.

The damage inflicted by workplace abusers goes far beyond hobbling their victims’ ability to perform and contribute. Anyone who has worked in a large organization knows that when a bully hammers someone the news spreads like wildfire. The message behind these high-profile “take downs” is not lost on co-workers who quickly learn to toe the line or face the abuser’s wrath. The result is lower overall productivity, poor morale, higher cynicism and less innovation, not to mention the hard costs of increased absenteeism and disability claims.

Employers need to step up with systemic action to root out and stop abuse. Not only is this good business, it’s the law. Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act was amended in 2010 to address workplace harassment. Employers are now obligated to educate employees on their rights and to take reasonable steps to protect their employees from bullies.

But this will not happen as long as senior executives and human resource departments sit idly by while the workplace predators in their midst slice and dice their targeted victims.

David A. Whitten is an employment lawyer and the founding partner of Whitten & Lublin. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .