According to a research, every nine out of ten employees experience bullying at the workplace. Besides these high numbers being astonishing, the fact that almost all organizations pay little attention to workplace bullying is disappointing in the very least. Unchecked workplace bullying can even be dangerous to the mental and physical health of the employees who experience the bullying.
As an employer, you need to find workplace bullies to ensure the well-being of your employees and the growth of your organization. Workplace bullies destroy the morale of other employees and cast a damaging impact on the workplace culture.
However, identifying workplace bullies can be challenging. Often, employees who get bullied are junior to the workplace bully. Their junior positions make them feel powerless. Hence, they don’t stand up for themselves for fear of their job becoming even more difficult.
Nonetheless, employers and administration always have complete authority over all employees. Employers, administration, and HR personnel can use proactive measures to end workplace bullying and maintain positive workplace culture. Let’s take a look at some signs of workplace bullies:
Visible Anger and Frustration
Getting disappointed by team members when they don’t do their job correctly is not a big deal. However, many workplace bullies working at managerial levels show their disappointment through anger and frustration. Anger and frustration among the upper management employees is a blatant sign of them being bullies and a sign of them being bad at their job.
Even if junior employees mess up a project, it is the responsibility of supervisors to guide them and correct what they did wrong without showing visible anger. A manager or supervisor that becomes visibly upset and angry at their team members is, without a doubt, a workplace bully.
Name Calling and Belittling
If you want to maintain a positive workplace culture, never allow anyone to become name-callers. Name-calling is a form of humiliation, and no employee should be subjected to it. Remember that employees are hired for a reason: their talent, experience, or education. Moreover, learning and professional growth are always a work in progress. Allowing someone to be called names or belittled for one mistake disregards their previous wins and accomplishments.
While criticism is sometimes essential, it should only be done constructively and to teach and guide the employees. Belittling and humiliating employees and passing it as a means of criticism should never be allowed at workplaces.
Manipulation and Setting Unachievable Goals
Many workplace bullies holding higher titles and positions bully their team members by manipulating roles and setting unachievable targets for them. Employers, administration, and HR personnel should put in place clear descriptions of job descriptions for all employees. Employees should also be informed that they can always talk to an administration or HR personnel if their supervisors put their share of work on them or assign work unequally among the team members.
Finally, proactively setting up workplace behavioral codes and boundaries for employees can also significantly help in reducing workplace bullying and establishing a positive workplace culture.
