How to handle that bully at work
Although he has repeatedly denied it, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been accused of being a really bully at work.
An anti-harassment helpline revealed that it had received several complaints from people working in his office, including allegations of Mr. Brown swearing at staff, grabbing them by their lapels and shouting at them.
Sound familiar? Well, to some people certainly. Roughly one in three employees has been bullied at work, according to research from the Workplace Bullying Institute.
And those are just the ones that speak up. Among targets of bullying, 40% never told their employers and, of those who did, 62% reported that they were essentially ignored.
That’s why Asher Adelman, founder of eBossWatch, a site that allows job seekers to review a database of anonymous posts about their workplace, believes you should try to identify toxic bosses long before you sign up.
The site recently rated the world’s worst bosses, including a British airline CEO who berated his employees in front of hundreds of customers lined up at the airline’s check-in counter, ignoring a sign that warned passengers: “Abusive behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated.”
If you find yourself at the mercy of the resident ogre, here’s a brief 5-point plan developed by Gary and Ruth Namie, authors of The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job.
Put a name to it. Calling it bullying or psychological violence or harassment makes the problem external.
Identify the type of bully. Knowing the type of person you're dealing with can help determine how best to defend yourself.
Take some time off. Check your health for stress-related complications, then get mental health counseling.
Gather the facts. Check for violations of employer policies and labour laws. Document the time, dates, actions, and witnesses of the incidents.
Make your case. Present the business case/evidence to the highest-ranking individual at the company, showing the fiscal as well as personal impact of the issues.
Have you encountered bullies at work? What strategies have you used to effectively minimize bullying?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Marie | Mar 26, 2021 5:47:39 PM
This is all truth what you wrote, but in real life when you work for the company and the manager(boss) constantly bossing you ,bulling you and harassing you, you can not do too much. We complained few times she was nice one , two weeks and everything started then again. I found that our manager has no high education that she should have and yet she keeps the position, so it is probably why she is so angry and bossy to people, worrying for herself. We have 40 employees and 7 left for the stress relief, the rest of us just take her easy and ignore her mood swings and bossy attitudes. It is very difficult to work in environment like this, but there is always choice to leave , right?....BUT .. It is not easy neither, after 15 years of seniority, 4 weeks vacations and few raises, it is hard to leave and start with minimum wage again somewhere else. This is what I think....
Posted by: Anti Bully | Mar 26, 2021 10:08:45 PM
Useful and practical article. Thanks.
Developing the necessary skill to confront such a behavior directly (not angrily) is one of the best options to me. I am not recommending a blind attack here.
The risk of a direct confrontation is worth taking according to me, as the self respect is very important for all of us. It is easier said than done though.
Posted by: Carrie | Mar 26, 2021 10:54:29 PM
I work for someone who had no experience in the restaurant industry. She doesn't want to pay any staff and therefore does all the work herself. She is the worst boss ever! Yells at everyone when under pressure, can't handle it and yet wants respect from the 2 people that work there. It is a drag to go in there and see her face, it sets you in a bad mood and your day is ruined. Everything is about money and her greediness and cheap ways of doing things is being noticed by customers. No one likes her yet she thinks she's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If she worked for someone else she would be fired. Mental health issues are written all over her face, but how do you tell someone they are a complete idiot?
Posted by: Bobsan | Mar 26, 2021 11:08:16 PM
If you are a visible minority, drop the discrimination bomb, watch how quickly the upper management responds. It's the kiss of death with serious consequences for those who missuse power and intimidate subordinates. They are bastards with serious personality flaws. And yet there appears to be a glut of undertrained, incompetent, unskilled managers who unleast their rath of BS on a daily basis to those who are just trying to work and support their famlilies. Shame on you useless managers.
Posted by: Alleycat | Mar 28, 2021 4:33:47 PM
I'm sorry that I didn't happen to read this kind of article two years ago. I have indeed dealt with harrassment at work, but it wasn't with a manager. It was a fellow employee, and she did it indirectly. Every time she was there working with me, she would vandalize the girls' washroom, throw things in the garbage, and she would go straight to me and tell me to my face that customers were doing it. I knew it was her though because that stuff happened only on the days and times when she was there. I don't know if she did it to get my attention, get me fired for confronting innocent customers, or if she secretly thought it was funny to get me angry and upset. I told my boss about it, but my boss just shrugged it off and told me to go back to work. The employee was never dealt with, and it still affects me to this day. If I had learned these techniques when I was working with her, I could have handled this differently and things may have worked out better for me and all of us there. Thank you for writing this article. It'll help me if I ever encounter the same situation at my workplace.
Posted by: Asher Adelman | Mar 29, 2021 10:10:21 PM
All,
Remember you are not alone. Be sure to rate these toxic bosses online at eBossWatch.com because nobody should have to work with a jerk.
Asher
Posted by: canadian | Apr 4, 2021 2:23:34 PM
Thank you so much to writing this articale, i am struggling with same situation past 3 year. i am junior when i start my job in Printing company in Markham, Ontario. In my 3 year service 42 peoples in operation floor quite the jobs time to time and 3 got fired. The harassment is a small word for managment, beginning of the shift any idiot i mean ( suprvisor or shift manager) come to you and push you to must finish this job what ever you left for printing live or die its upto you. but i need the result if you say infront of any word, then few days or week you will see the result, shift changes to graveyard shift (night shift 12 am to 8 am). Using harsh words to push and yell and bulling to make high score to beat other donkey. My company Director is a big bastard, and his fellow rest of shifts managers and supervisor. they love to follow him and his rules to become a next manager or may be the next higher levels. i know these guys who work with me they trained me mostly are my seniors.( mix races ) They learn, quick resopons any mishandle or printout in printing. but end of the he/she always treat like infront of other like nothing. just run our bussniess and go home, "IF ANYONE FEEL YOU CAN'T WORK WITH US THE DOORS OUR OPEN ". these type of words we heard mostly in our meetings. Because its fulltime with benefit and tough recession time. now they taking more advantages then before. behavior goes worest and worest every day, not with me we all are same. mostly just shut there mouth because they paying a house financiaing or car finance. Majority supervisor and Managers are untrained and lower in education and keep arrange private parties to happy upper managment. gift passing, what ever make idiot smile. my shift manager as use to bulling me and last moment when he crose the line. i told him listen " i am not your property or your are not my dad " stop behaivor like that. that it he wan't to send me home right away. But in those days i already submit my medical report to HR, only the reall medical reason save my job, otherwise i am the 4th one who got fire. "you have no rights to say" that the rules locally they made it. So if you like this job keep kissing the donkey bolls. he's happy you are happy.
Posted by: m | Apr 15, 2021 11:12:48 PM
these types of bullies are riding the crest of job-related stress, perhaps stress from home. it is irrelevant where the anxiety is manifesting itself. what is relevant is that their lives are far from stable or grounded, and it leaves them open to attacks. it also leaves them less able to know where the attacks are coming from (because they are making enemies with everyone). my view is that their behaviour is an example of the rules they want to play by, and so be it. what they don't know is that the bullied-upon have every right to introduce their own rules to the game. it is not necessary to openly be an @rse such as they. one can be far more destructive in far more subtle and insidious ways. in other words, a wounded animal should not wake a sleeping bear.
Posted by: canadian | May 11, 2021 11:08:55 PM
requesting to web master to repost this articale with all comments thanks.
Posted by: John | Oct 25, 2021 11:27:26 PM
The Heckler & Koch PSG1 works wonders in eliminating the bullies in your life. I have 5 notches in mine.