Many of us have experienced bullying at some point in our lives - at school, at work, or in our personal lives, but it's important to know bullying actually has quite a specific definition.
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Section 789FD of the Fair Work Act defines bullying as occurring if a person "repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards the worker" and if "that behaviour creates a risk to health and safety". It can be verbal, physical, social or psychological abuse and can include behaviour that makes you feel intimidated, frightened, offended, or humiliated and can also include unreasonable criticism about the way you do your work.
Over the last couple of columns I have written about bullying behaviours, particularly with regards to managers belittling and humiliating junior staff, and overt bullying that involves actions and words that make you doubt your capabilities and your relationships. Bullying of all types can have significant lasting effects on a person's sense of self, their relationships and the way they perceive their future.
Perhaps the most dangerous impact of bullying behaviour at work can be making a person feel trapped in their job because they need to rely on their current workplace for a reference. And this is a significant issue, but it's not insurmountable.
So, what can be done about bullying?
The first step is talking to a trusted person about your experience. This could be a private careers counsellor, manager, friend, union representative, or a health professional. Explaining your experience to this person and seeking feedback will likely help you to identify whether it amounts to bullying or harassment and this will help you to determine your next steps.
If you feel safe to talk to the person exhibiting the bullying behaviour, then you can either wait until they do so again and advise them their behaviour is inappropriate and ask them to stop, or, you can approach them and have a conversation about it when they aren't already aggravated. It's really important that you only do this if you feel safe to do so.
Speaking with a manager, supervisor, health and safety representative, or your union representative about the experience is an important part of the process. This will allow you to formally seek a resolution about your experience and seek their assistance in addressing it, and you can take a support person with you.
Once the behaviour has been reported, the organisation should investigate the matter and then make a preliminary decision with regards to your complaint. The person who has been exhibiting the bullying behaviour will be given a chance to respond to the claims and from there a decision will be made with regards to the outcome. If you are unsatisfied with the decision, you can contact Fair Work with regards to your options for conciliation services to resolve the matter.
However, there are three things you need to know when it comes to feeling trapped in a workplace due to bullying.
- 1. If you are feeling constantly berated or spoken down to at work, seek feedback from a trusted person before you start to believe that the problem is entirely you.
- 2. If you can address the issue head on safely, do so - either directly with the person, or with a manager. It may be a communication style that needs to be fixed or a management style that needs work and this cannot be done without people being brave enough to acknowledge the problem.
- 3. You can leave the job. You don't have to stay where you are subjected to abuse. You can use others in senior positions to you in the organisation as referees like WHS managers, team leaders, trainers and, in a pinch, colleagues. Many hirers will understand if you don't want them to talk to your current boss.
But, perhaps the most important thing to remember is we really are all in this together. Bullying is usually a systemic issue that requires a whole-of-organisation approach to resolve: an actioned performance management policy that involves annual reviews and discussions is a great way to monitor and manage ongoing behaviours in the workforce.
But at the grassroots level, if you notice someone in your workplace being bullied, do something about it. Remember, the abuse we walk past, is the abuse we accept.
- Zoë Wundenberg is a careers consultant and un/employment advocate at impressability.com.au, and a regular columnist for ACM.
Zoë Wundenberg
Zoë Wundenberg is a careers consultant and un/employment advocate at impressability.com.au, and a regular columnist for ACM.
Zoë Wundenberg is a careers consultant and un/employment advocate at impressability.com.au, and a regular columnist for ACM.
