WORKPLACE BULLYING Prevention and Skills to Recognise Key Factors in Your Workplace

Learning Objectives  Understanding workplace bullying  Identify if you are being bullied or a bully  Identify risks  Employee responsibilities  Impact on health  Support systems  Preventive strategies and how to approach bullying  Case studies

What is Workplace Bullying?  Repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety.  A single incident may not be considered workplace bullying but is may have the potential to escalate and should not be ignored.

Are You being Bullied?  Bullying can include:  Abusive, insulting or offensive language or comments  Unjustified criticism or complaints  Deliberately excluding someone from workplace activities  Withholding information that is vital for effective work performance  Setting unreasonable timelines or constantly changing deadlines  Setting tasks that are unreasonably below or beyond a person’s skill level  Denying access to information, supervision, consultation or resources to the detriment of the worker  Spreading misinformation or malicious rumours  Changing rosters and leave with the intent to inconvenience

Not Bullying Behaviour  Performance goals  Allocating work hours  Transfer for operational reasons  Not selected for promotion when reasonable process is followed  Informing about unsatisfactory work via management guidelines  Advising of inappropriate behaviour objectively and confidentially  Organisational changes or restructuring  Taking appropriate disciplinary action

Employee Responsibilities  When approaching your supervisor  Duty of care to report any bullying  Take reasonable care of your health and safety  Be mindful of your actions or omissions  Cooperate with the policies and procedures implemented by your company such as a workplace bullying policy

Identifying Risks  Observing or experiencing unreasonable behaviours from other workers  Increase in social strain at your workplace and outside of work  Experiencing lack of feedback, unreasonable pressure and excessive unjustified criticism  Unable to define your role  Timelines for projects are too short

Impact on Your Health  Workplace bullying can cause physical and mental illness  Depression, anxiety, decrease in confidence  Headaches, backaches, sleep and digestive problems

Support Systems  Internal  Supervisor or manager If your supervisor is bullying you, then meet with their manager  Nominated contact officer if available  Human Rights Commission  Fair Work Commission  Workcover  External  Family and Friends  Union  Employee Assistance Program

Preventive Strategies  Company policy on workplace bullying and code of conduct  Induction and ongoing training  Discuss with supervisor or H&S representative about workplace bullying  Discuss how bullying reports will be responded to and how to provide evidence  Seek where to go for further information and assistance

How to Approach Bullying?  Directly  If you feel comfortable and safe, then you can approach the individual who is bullying you  Seek intervention from a trusted co-worker or manager  Formal complaint  Keep a record

Case Studies 1. Ed is having difficulty maintaining dead lines for projects, which results in his new supervisor to talk with him about his work performance.  His supervisor recommends additional training to improve his management and core skills. Ed feels this is unreasonable because of his experience and becomes distressed and develops problems sleeping.  Ed files for worker compensation for stress related injury  Do you think Ed has experienced workplace bullying? Explain?  What approach should Ed have taken after his meeting?

Case Studies 2. Jane’s supervisor routinely gives her tasks that are not related to her role. She is starting to develop physical signs of distress as her manager criticises her work performance and shortens timelines on projects.  Jane feels that she will lose her job if she confronts her manager.  How should Jane respond with the bullying situation?  If you were Jane what approach would you take to diffuse the situation?  What could your support system look like?

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Resources  Dealing with Workplace Bullying – A Workers Guide  lications/pages/workers-guide-workplace-bullying lications/pages/workers-guide-workplace-bullying  Bullying Prevention Kit  ations/Pages/bullying-prevention-kit.aspx ations/Pages/bullying-prevention-kit.aspx  Dealing with Workplace Bullying: A practical guide for employees  mployees.pdf mployees.pdf

References  Safe Work Australia, November Guide for Preventing and Responding to Workplace Bullying out/publications/pages/guide-workplace-bullying out/publications/pages/guide-workplace-bullying