Workplace Challenges
When the boss is a bullyIs your boss a capital "B"? It's probably not the five-letter word you're thinking about, but a close enough term to describe the kind of female managers many of us work for: Bully. SHARON ASCHAIEK |
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 [ 2006-02-01 ] |
According to research done by The Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute, a North American non-profit committed to eradicating workplace bullying, 58% to 70% of all workplace bullies are women, and 80% of the time it's women who are the targets.
Lawyer and human resources advisor Lauren Bernardi says the abusive behaviour can often be attributed to the insecurities many female supervisors still have about competitors -- especially other women.
"Many women still view each other as competition in the workplace, and when they get ahead, they say to themselves that there's no way they'll let another woman intervene," says Bernardi, who'll be presenting on the topic at the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario annual conference, which starts today and runs until Feb. 3 (visit www.hrpao.org).
Unlike male bullying, which tends to be more outwardly and sometimes physically aggressive, female harassment tends to be more subtle -- but just as harmful, if not more so. It can include:
- persistent, excessive nit-picking, unjustified criticism and constant scrutiny;
- spreading malicious rumours;
- excluding or ignoring the target;
- refusing to allow targets to take sick, compassionate or vacation leave;
- imposing discipline for trivial or fabricated infractions.
"The psychological impact is just as bad as if the boss kicked them in shins every day. The targets start to think they deserve it somehow, that they're not competent," Bernardi says.
HR managers often don't address such behaviour because bullies can easily defend themselves against complaints, Bernardi says. They usually say the employee has an attitude problem or is acting out because of a poor performance review, and HR believes it because they don't know any better.
"Also, there's this enduring belief about the aggressive but effective manager -- they yell a lot, we think, but they get the job done. This is what allows them to get away with bad behaviour," she says.
But they're anything but effective, Bernardi says. Not only does the target of the bullying suffer, so does workplace morale and productivity.
"It poisons the workplace and makes it harder for everyone to do their job. The bully rotates her targets and people don't know when they're next, so there's a chilling effect," Bernardi says. "It also trickles down, so that if I'm a bully, being disrespectful and hostile is the example I set, and others become disrespectful and hostile to their co-workers.
"It also leads to increased employee absenteeism, turnover, and even long-term disability insurance claims filed by employees who've really suffered."
Fortunately, a slow but certain movement is growing to nip such harassment in the bud and create more hospitable work environments. Bernardi has worked with dozens of companies in Ontario to help them develop appropriate anti-bullying policies. She's also worked with employees who've been the recipients of such abuse.
She says the first thing an employee should do is confront the bully to try to resolve the problem. If the harassment persists, she should report it to her HR department so that her complaint is on record.
If nothing changes, seek legal help. A lawyer may first ask the employer to investigate and address the problem internally, and that usually works. If the bullying has driven the employee to quit, the lawyer may pursue a wrongful dismissal claim against the employer and try to secure a severance package.
"Companies are still very behind on this matter -- we're nowhere near where we we've evolved with sexual harassment," Bernardi says. "But people are becoming increasingly aware of their rights at work, and more people are willing to speak up about what's happening."
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