Spring Professional DevelopmentFebruary 29 & March 8, 2012

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BULLYING AND OTHER BAD BEHAVIORS

Dr. Frances Allen, Manager, Personnel Services, 410 887-8936, fallen@bcps.org

Define key terms and concepts Identify bullying and harassing behaviors

in employees Review the difference between an EEO

complaint and complaints about workplace bullying

Discuss strategies to address bullying behavior and review available resources

Examine responsibility for civil, courteous and respectful workplace

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Workshop Goals:

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Bullies are…. I think bullies are bullies because….. I think the best way to deal with a bully is…

Sentence Stems

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Workplace bullying: repeated, health harming-mistreatment of one or more persons (targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of following forms:◦ Verbal abuse

◦ Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating or intimidating

◦ Work interference –sabotage- which prevents work from getting done

--www.workplacebullying.org5

Key terms and definitions

“Systematic aggressive communication, manipulation of work, and acts aimed at humiliating or degrading one or more individuals that create an unhealthy and unprofessional power imbalance, result in psychological consequences for targets and co-workers and cost enormous monetary damage to an organization’s bottom line.”

--Catherine Mattice and Karen Garman

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Workplace bullying: other definitions

Driven by perpetrators’ need to control the targeted individuals

Initiated by bullies who choose their targets, timing, location and methods

Escalates to involve others who side with the bully and gang up on the target

Undermines work/learning environment when bullies’ agendas take precedence over work itself

--www.workplacebullying.org

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Workplace bullying is:

Repetition (occurs regularly)

Duration (is enduring)

Escalation (increasing aggression)

Power disparity (the target lacks the power to successfully defend themselves)

Attributed intent (something that is intended; an aim or purpose—not accidental)

--Einarsen, 1999; Keashly and Harvey 2004; Lutgen-Sandvik, 2006

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Workplace Bullying Characteristics

Using abusive, insulting or offensive language

Engaging in behavior or using language that frightens, humiliates, belittle or degrades, including criticism that is delivered with yelling and screaming

Teasing or regularly making someone the brunt of practical jokes

Displaying material that is degrading or offending

Spreading gossip, rumors or innuendo of a malicious nature

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Workplace Bullying - Obvious And Aggressive Behaviors

Deliberately excluding, isolating or marginalizing a person from normal workplace activities

Intruding on a person’s space by pestering, spying or tampering with their personal effects or work equipment

Intimidating a person through inappropriate personal comments, belittling opinions or unjustified criticism

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Workplace Bullying – Subtle Behaviors

Overloading a person with work Setting timelines that are difficult to achieve

or constantly changing deadlines Setting tasks that are unreasonably beyond a

person’s ability Ignoring or isolating a person Deliberately denying access to information,

consultation or resources Exhibiting unfair treatment in relation to

accessing workplace entitlements, such as leave or training

--Preventing Workplace Bullying: A Practical Guide for Employers,

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Workplace bullying – covert behavior

Being bullied at work most closely resembles the experience of being a battered spouse especially in terms of the psychological characteristics

Note: Issue of Power and Control--www.workplacebullying.org

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Similarities Between Workplace Bullying And Domestic Violence

Similarity: tendency of individuals to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behavior

Similarity: includes verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical abuse and humiliation

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Similarities And Differences With Childhood Bullying

Difference: Workplace bullies often operate within the established rules and policies of their organization

Difference: Workplace bullies in majority of cases are perpetrated by management and therefore are the people “in charge”

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Similarities And Differences With Childhood Bullying

Can compromise an employee’s health

Jeopardize her or his job or career

Strain relationships with friends and family

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Impact On Employee Who Is A Victim Of Workplace Bullying

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Potential Impacts Of Workplace Bullying And Harassment

Poor morale and poor employee relations

Loss of respect for managers and supervisors

Poor performance

Lost productivity

Increased absenteeism

Resignations or requests for transfers

Damage to workplace reputation

Court cases

--Bullying and harassment at work: A guide for managers and employers. ACAS, www.acas.org.uk

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What do BCPS employees report? My boss signals me out from all of the

others in their mistreatment of me My boss treats me differently from the

other co-workers My boss scrutinizes my work more closely

than my co-workers My boss denies my person leave/vacation

time when he/she allows others to take their vacation/personal leave whenever they want to

My boss belittles me in front of other co-workers

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What do BCPS employees report? My boss/co-worker makes my workplace a

“living nightmare”

I dread going to work because of my boss/co-worker

I can’t focus, I have anxiety, I cry all of the time

I can do nothing right in my boss’s/co-worker’s eyes

I love my job but my boss’s/co-worker’s behavior makes me feel like not coming to work

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Bullying May Differ From The Following:

Incivility

Disrespect

Difficult people

Personality conflict

Negative conduct

Ill treatment

--www.workplacebullying.org

I PULL MYSELF UP BY PULLING YOU DOWN

The “Pulley” System

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Unwelcome act committed by a person that makes another feel uncomfortable, offended, intimidated or oppressed

Most common form is sexual harassment

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Harassment As An EEO Issue:

• Deliberate and/or repeated unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature; can be verbal, nonverbal or physical

• Conduct that: • explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s

employment, • unreasonably interferes with work performance or • creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work

environment

See BCPS Policy/Rule 4102

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Sexual Harassment

◦Age◦Color◦Disability◦Gender◦Marital Status◦National/Ethnic Origin

Harassment That Meets The EEO Definition

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◦Race◦Religion◦Sexual Orientation◦Veteran Status◦Any other unlawful

characteristic under Federal/State law

• Behavior must be based upon a protected category:

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BCPS Reports/Examples Of EEO-based Harassment

Employee making sexual comments and/or gestures to another employee

Employee inappropriately touching another employee

Employees having conversations of a sexual nature in the workplace

Employees telling racial, religious, and/or gender-based jokes in the workplace

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BCPS Reports/Examples Of EEO-based Harassment

Supervisor telling subordinate that they can help them move to another job if they go out with them

Employee constantly asking another coworker out on a date despite being told they are not interested

Employee using “sexy” nickname to refer to another coworker

Recognizing that you are being bullied Realizing that you are not the source of the

problem Recognizing that bullying is about control and

has nothing to do with your performance Keeping a diary detailing the nature of the

bullying (dates, times, places, what was said or done)

Keeping copies of harassing/bullying paper trails

--Dealing with Bullying at Work: A guide for workers. Commission for occupational safety and health. Government of Western Australia

Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries

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The “Target” Of Bullying.. Can Regain Some Control By:

Having a witness at any meeting with the person who is bullying you

Checking for workplace policies/rules Using a counseling service like the

Employee Assistance Program Considering approaching the bully

--Dealing with Bullying at Work: A guide for workers. Commission for occupational safety and health. Government of Western Australia

Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries

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The “Target” Of Bullying.. Can Regain Some Control By:

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What About Other Challenging Behaviors?

Incivility

Disrespect

Difficult people

Personality conflict

Negative conduct

Ill treatment

I

E

Formula to Remember

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Acronym to Remember

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CYE

Control Your Emotions

Acronym to Remember

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Effective Communication Skills are essential to

dealing with bullying and other challenging

behaviors

Key Strategy

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Re-work perceptions (e.g. positive, negatives, neutrals)

Read, research and explore options for problem-solving

Ask for help or enhance your skills Change your response Others…..

Other Strategies

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The Respect Institute: http://therespectinstitute.org

Johns Hopkins Civility Website and Dr. P. M. Forney: http://krieger.jhu.edu/civility

Choose Civility-Howard County, MD: www.choosecivility.org

This Website also includes a link for resources and materials. The annual free community wide civility symposium is October 5, 2011. You can register for this symposium on their Website.

Resources

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission www.eeoc.gov

The Workplace Bullying Institute www.workplacebullying.org

Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know: www.Lni.wa.gov/safety/research. (Write name of publication in search topics) This publication also has a good list of resources and contacts.

Resources

Tanyka Barber, EEO Officer, 410 887-8937, tbarber2@bcps.org

Janice Zimmerman, EAP Counselor,410 887-5414, jzimmerman@bcps.org

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Additional Contacts

Slides 5 through 19 and slide 26: courtesy of Janice Zimmerman, EAP Counselor

Slides 21-25: courtesy of Tanyka Barber, EEO Officer

These slides were part of a presentation developed for administrators at the Safe Schools Conference.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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