- Individuals who are being harassed and bullied are often afraid to make a complaint for fear of losing their job.
- The Company tolerates bad behaviour – ‘they have always been like that’, ‘they do get angry but it’s their way’, ‘its only banter’!
- Managers are not trained to know what to do or they may themselves are the perpetrator.
- Companies do not like to admit it goes on.
- The Complaint process is too lengthy.
- Talented individuals leave the Company rather than making a complaint – as the saying goes …. ‘people leave managers not companies’.
There is some misunderstanding when it comes to both harassment and bullying and it is not always recognised in the workplace.
Below are some examples.
In terms of harassment people can be subjected on a variety of grounds:
- Sex-based (purely because of gender) or sexual (sexual in nature)
- Sexual orientation
- Trans-sexualism (gender reassignment)
- Being married or a civil partner
- Race, nationality, ethnic origin, national origin or skin colour
- Disability itself or a reason relating to it
- Age
- Employment status, e.g. part-time, fixed-term
- Religion or religious beliefs or lack of either
- Deeply held personal beliefs or lack of them
- Political beliefs
- Criminal record
- Health, e.g. aids/HIV sufferers
- Physical characteristics
- Social class
- Ridiculed or victimised for raising a complaint.
However you look at it, harassment can take many forms whether it be; verbal, non-verbal, physical or coercion.
Workplace bullying can range from extreme forms, such as violence and intimidation to less obvious actions, like deliberately ignoring someone at work. These can be split into two categories:
The obvious:
- Shouting or swearing at people in public and private
- Persistent criticism
- Ignoring or deliberately excluding people
- Persecution through threats and instilling fear
- Spreading malicious rumours
- Constantly undervaluing effort
- Dispensing disciplinary action that is totally unjustified
- Spontaneous rages, often over trivial matters.
The less obvious:
- Withholding information or supplying incorrect information
- Deliberately sabotaging or impeding work performance
- Constantly changing targets
- Setting individuals up to fail by imposing impossible deadlines
- Levelling unfair criticism about performance the night before an employee goes on holiday
- Removing areas of responsibility and imposing menial tasks
- Blocking applications for holiday, promotion or training.
Whether the complaint is handled informally or formally it should be carried out in a supportive and professional manner which a resolution once the complaint is concluded.
How often have you found out about a potential Harassment and Bullying situation during an exit interview.
Don’t let this happen – let us help you by training all your managers in the process and how to deal with these complaints.