Many people associate bullying with the playground, but it is becoming increasingly common in workplaces across America, affecting both employees and the companies they work for. Workplace bullying and disruptive behavior are serious issues that can disturb work, interfere with productivity, and even threaten employee health. In fact, more than 35% of employees in the US say that they have worked with a bully at some point in their lives, equating to almost 65 million people.
A workplace bully is not just someone who loses their cool and barks at associates on a bad day. It is an ongoing pattern of abusive behavior that continues over time, and employees are just as likely to be bullied by their peers as they are by their bosses or managers. Anyone in or around the organization, including vendors, contractors, labor representatives, or even clients and customers, could turn out to be a bully. The reasons behind why someone bullies others are complicated, but what they do in the workplace is more important than why they do it.
Bullying can take on many forms, including verbal and physical abuse, such as shouting and swearing at victims, denying them the resources they need to do their job, or even spreading rumors about them. Workplace bullying can have serious physical and emotional effects on both the victim and witnesses, leading to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and insomnia, among other conditions. It can also have a damaging effect on companies, decreasing productivity, destroying teamwork, increasing absenteeism, and even causing job turnover.
Fortunately, there are ways to shut down workplace bullies. Employees who are experiencing bullying or witnessing bullying should know that they are not helpless. Practical steps can be taken, such as bringing an independent witness and documenting the bullying to support a complaint. Reporting bullying to a manager or supervisor, or even the Human Resources Department, in a professional manner can help to shut down the bully. The video also covers other types of disruptive behavior that can lead to physical violence and ways to intervene and prevent these behaviors in the workplace. By addressing workplace bullying and other disruptive behaviors, employees can help to make their workplace a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable place for themselves and their coworkers.
As we’ve discussed, bullying in the workplace can have serious consequences for both employees and businesses. One way to prevent workplace bullying is through education and training. Our online interactive courses are an excellent resource for companies looking to provide their employees with comprehensive and engaging training on workplace safety and compliance. With a variety of courses available, including those focused on topics like hazard communication and personal protective equipment, our courses are designed to keep employees engaged and involved in the learning process. And with our remediation training feature, employees can quickly and easily review any material they may have missed, leading to a more efficient and effective training experience. Best of all, our courses are fully tracked and recorded, allowing managers to monitor their employees’ progress and ensure that everyone is up to date on the latest workplace safety practices.
Bullying and other disruptive behavior in the workplace can negatively impact both employees and businesses. We offer various training products, including micro-learning and full-length online courses, DVDs, and interactive CD courses, to educate employees on how to identify and handle these types of behaviors. The products cover topics such as workplace bullies, the effects of bullying, how to handle bullies, and defusing disruptive behavior. These courses are available in both English and Spanish, and kits, booklets, and posters are available in English only.
