1. Michelle Kaminski, MSU Labor Education Program
Workplace bullying
Michelle Kaminski, MSU Labor Education Program

2. Workplace bullying What is it?
How common is it
What to do if you are the target of a bully
Individuals
Groups
Unions
Management
Extreme cases
Summary /evaluations

3. What is workplace bullying?
Formal definition
Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms:
verbal abuse
offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating or intimidating
work interference -- sabotage -- which prevents work from getting done.

4. Examples of bullying behaviors
Being rude or belligerent
Talking in a dismissive tone
Screaming or cursing
Being arrogant in general
Being quick to criticize and slow to praise
Social ostracism
Destruction of property or work product
Character assassination
Spreading malicious rumors
Gossiping about others
Not providing adequate resources

5. The short version:
Kiss up, kick down

6. How common is it? Companies:
25 percent had some degree in the previous year
The aggressor was
An employee: 39 percent
A customer: percent
A supervisor: percent
NIOSH study of employers, as reported by HR staff

7. How common is it? Individuals Most studies show 10 to 25 %
Workplace Bullying Institute report
37% (13% currently, 24% ever) 12% witness (WBI)
75% of bullies are bosses
13% currently, 24% ever, 12% witness: Workplace bullying institute – Zogby
(Nationally representative sample)
Bullying is 4 x more common than illegal forms of harassment
Women more likely to be the target of a bully
Men more likely to bully
But when women bully, they are more likely to bully another woman
Higher studies I’ve seen:
50% among univ. students at work
82% among nurses
100% of students experienced some mistreatment 14% experienced at least 10 kinds
Witness rate is higher in another studye – 25% agenvold

8. Impact Individual Organizational Stress Disrupted sleep patterns
PSTD
Disrupted sleep patterns
Loss of self-esteem
Depression
Search for another job
Lower job satisfaction
Lower commitment to the organization
Higher turnover
Higher absenteeism
Higher health care usage
Lower productivity
Absences: 26% higher certified sickness absences in Finland

9. Impact on employers Financial estimates
Up to $2.3 million per large company year (Australia)
$2.7 billion per year for the UK (all employers) for absences and replacement
US: $1.2 million per large organization
Figures in US $
Australia,
Large corporations ( employees)
UK does not include the cost of lower productivity
US: estimate is for an organization of about 1,000 people

10. Why do people bully others?
Because they can!
Employer creates competitive, zero-sum, work situation
Some employees take advantage of the situation
Employer rewards / tolerates bullying

11. Some (controversial) advice from the Workplace Bullying Institute
Name it
E.g., bullying, psychological harassment, psychological violence, etc.
(???) Take time off to
Assess / repair your mental and physical health
Research legal options (perhaps a discrimination case)
Collect data about the cost of bullying to your organization
Start to look for another job
Expose the bully
Make the argument in terms that matter to the employer (profits, sales, customer/client service etc.)
Do not focus on the emotional impact
(???) Give the employer one chance; if they don’t fix it, leave
If you leave, tell everyone why, for the sake of your own health

12. What to do if you’re being bullied
Your health
Recognize the behavior as bullying
Know that you are not to blame
Try to get results
Take notes
Talk to the union (first!), the bully’s manager or HR, with your written record
Seek support from co-workers
Minimize one-on-one interaction with the bully (ONLY if it won’t hamper your job performance)
Expect the bully to deny the behavior
Are co-workers treated the same way?
Even if not, do they witness some of the bullying behavior?
Can they
Takes notes
Testify in a grievance hearing
Talk to the union or HR separately
Attend meeting with you and the bully
But don’t just spread rumors or you’re committing offensive behavior yourself
Be aware:
Bully will deny the accusations
In cases where bullying was brought to management’s attention, 62% did nothing or made it worse

13. Cognitive rehearsal See handout based on Griffin study:
Teaching cognitive rehearsal as a shield for lateral violence: An intervention for newly licensed nurses
March Griffin, RN, CS, PhD
The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, Nov./Dec. 2004, Vol. 35, 6, pp

14. What groups of co-workers can do
Witness
Take notes
Testify (grievance process, including arbitration or mediation)
Don’t leave the target alone with the bully
Code Pink

15. What unions can do Contract language Legislation Stand together
Enforceable
Non-retaliation clause
Legislation
Stand together
Work to rule

16. What management can do Contract language and / or Policy Legislation
Enforceable
Non-retaliation clause
Legislation
Training on acceptable and unacceptable behaviors
Take complaints seriously
Subject to just cause, take disciplinary action – regardless of rank or power in the organization
Monitor
It’s never just a “personality conflict”
Investigate and take action promptly –
Australian – 18 months from complaint to outcome
Take action even against the big money maker – in 62 % of cases they do nothing or make it worse
Monitor: eg through surveys

17. Exercise
Design an anti-bullying strategy for your workplace

18. Extreme Cases
Some people may have a genetic predisposition to abuse others
Getting out of the situation is the only option

19. Summary of Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley
Why are there evil people and why are they so successful?
Some key terms:
Machiavellianism
Anti-social personality disorder (30% genetic)
Psychopath (aka sociopath) (81% genetic)
Machiavellianism: A person who is charming on the surface, a genius at sucking up to power, but capable of mind-boggling acts of deceit for control or personal gain.
One whose narcissism, combined with subtle cognitive and emotional disturbances in such a fashion as to make him believe that achieving his own desires, and his along, is a genuinely beneficial – even altruistic – activity. Since the Machiavellian gives more emotional weight to his own importance than to that of anyone or anything else, achieving the growth of his preeminence by any means possible is always justified in his own mind.
But so able to charm and manipulate (and coerce) they get others to ignore their own conscience
Anti-social: A syndrome in which people show a pervasive pattern of disregard for an violation of the rights of others,… Characterized by traits such as deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and irresponsibility. Psychopaths form a subset of the worst of those with antisocial personality disorder; they also have a lack of empathy or remorse.
Psychopath. Predators who use charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. Lacking in conscience and in feeling for others, they cold-bloodedly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.
Percentages: heritability
Also differences in neurotransmitters, serotonin receptorz

20. Differences in brain activity
Psychopaths have a less active amygdala
Prefrontal cortex: executive functioning
Areas involving moral reasoning
Less active amydala: restless, raise hell fust for the excitement, strange lack of fear
Right orbitofrontal cortex: (part of prefrontal cortex) if it is not well functioning, you have trouble developing a conscience p.95 (because don’t associate childhood punishments with anti social behavior)
Altuistic people have highly active posterior superior temporal cortex. (empathy) p
Psychopather have lower brain activity in these and other areas involving moral reasoning
Psychopaths know intellectually what is moral and what isn’t. But they don’t have any feeling / emotion associated with immorality

21. Theories about why psychopaths develop
Can’t feel emotions themselves, so can’t empathize with others
Information processing deficit
Info proc. Deficit: cannot focus on long-term consequences of action; can only focus on immediate reward N

22. Borderline personality disorder
Rapid mood swings
Emotional instability
Troubled relationship
Chameleon-like
Related to anti-social personality disorder
When combined with psychopathology and intelligence, can be very destructive

23. Coping mechanisms Projection Black-and-white thinking
Denial of facts and evidence
Manipulating others
Blame shifting
p. 137, 144-6
Find others weakness and exploit it
Often very successful, high achieving in the public domain, and a complete disaster in their personal life

24. How some Machiavellians become so successful
Intelligence
Memory
Obsession with power and control
Hypomania
Charm
Reading people well
Willingness to manipulate
Narcissism p
There are 2 ways to rise to the top. One is to be the cream. The other is to be the scum.
Have you dealt with this kind of person

25. Workplace bullying: Summary
Verbal abuse and intimidation of others
10 to 37% of workforce experience it – higher in some occupations
Harmful to individuals
Costly for organizations

26. How to respond to bullying
Individual
Union / Management
Don’t blame yourself
Take notes
Rehearse responses
Talk to your union
Possibly talk to HR or manager
Put the cost in terms employer cares about
Contract language
Policy
Legislations
Training
Monitoring