Workplace Bullies, Essay Example

Wiedmer describes workplace bulling as a practice done by people who want to take power and control over their victims by means of domination and subjugation. Bullying takes place between people of all ages and can happen almost anywhere. Bullying can be obvious when the bully is bold about it, or it can be inconspicuous by everyone else except the bully and the victim. According to the article, must bullies are bosses (72%). Bullies are more likely to be male (60%).  Fifty-seven percent of victims are females. Bullying occurs four times more often than forms of harassment. Most employers choose to ignore the problem (62%). Forty percent of the victims never tell officials they are being bullied. Nearly forty-five percent of victims suffer from stress related health problems.  In the article, Wiedmer conveys that victims are often chosen because they pose some type of threat to the bully. Victims are usually veteran  employees. Bully bosses may practice some of the following behaviors: deny request for leave, single out, treat differently, coerce into leaving, and take credit for work victims have done. Typical bullies or often seen as being kind, compassionate by others; hence, they have a Jekyll and Hyde personality. They may even manipulate others through guilt. In order to stop a bully, changes must be made. Policies, rules, and daily practices must be made visible. Victims need to know that they are being supported. The bully needs to be addressed directly. Other workers need to be encouraged to report bullying they witness.

Impact on Workers

Research has proven that workplace bullying can have a negative effect on employees. Often workers who are being bullied experience both physical and psychological problems. The most noticeable change is their decrease in self-esteem. (Schat, & Frone, 2011).  Often these workers may miss a great deal of work because of physical ailments that are brought on by the mental stress they are experiencing. They may complain of headaches, body-aches, intestinal problems-nausea, diarrhea, stomach ulcer, etc. People who are being bullied may also carry these problems home with them which can lead to sleep disorders and domestic violence Schat, & Frone, 2011). Harassment is one of the common types of bullying. It can be composed of behaviors that are perceived by the victim as offensive or unwelcomed. When this is severe, it can hinder the employee from competently completing his/her job.  Bullies may use linguistic expression in regards to the employee’s sexual identity, race, culture, or religion.

Impact of Organization

Bullying can have a dramatic effect on the organization as well. Jobs that do not address bullying often have a high turnover rate for employees. When an employee reports bullying and nothing is done about it, the victims rather leave than be viewed as a “mess maker”.  An organization can suffer financially if a victims proceeds with legal ramifications (Ross, M. (2007-2009. This can cause low employee morale and low performance rates, which can cause other employees and clients to complain. Employees who are aware of the bullying may lose trust in officials if nothing is done about the problem.

Witness Bullying

I have never witnessed workplace bullying, but a close family member of mine has been the victim of bullying on her job for some time. She has reported the issue to the proper authorities. The bully and some other witnesses were called in to discuss it; however, they were all friends and stuck with the story that nothing was taking place. After this incident, the bully began to retaliate against her even more. She wrote a letter to cooperate officials and the bully was removed from the area she works in. Although he does not have direct contact with her anymore, he still bullies her in inconspicuous manner. Two good ways to remedy the problems are having proper officials confront the bully and having policies that directly state what bullying is and the consequences of it. In the article, Weidemer suggests that employers and employees are familiar with the most up to date policies on bullying. By confronting the bully, employers break the code of silence.

References

Ross, M. (2007-2009). Workplace bullies: How to best the business bullies. Retrieved from http://www.Kamaron.org/Dealing-With

Schat, A., & Frone, M. R. (2011). Exposure to psychological aggression at work and job performance: The mediating role of job attitudes and personal health. Work Stress, 25(1): 23- 40.

Wiedmer, T. (2011). Workplace bulling: costly and preventable. Morality in Education.