3 Steps to Stop Workplace Bullying in its Tracks

by | Dec 3, 2018 | Wellness

When people think of bullying they may picture someone getting beat up on the playground, or high schoolers starting rumors about another student online. Many don’t take into consideration that bullying has the ability to continue into adulthood and even into the workplace. Seventy-five percent of workers are affected by workplace bullying and 82 percent of these incidents are typically peer-to-peer. No one wants to get out of bed and commute to a toxic work environment on a daily basis. How can employers take charge of this alarming trend and keep their employees happy?

Step 1: Be prepared

Workplace bullies are often manipulative and able to hide their bad intentions. This makes it vital for executives to listen to and understand employee complaints. After examining complaints with serious consideration, take the time to pay attention to how the employee in question interacts with others and be sure to document any specific incidents you notice. If paperwork is not properly in order, or the complaint seems empty and not supported, it will likely fall by the wayside.

Step 2: Confront and take action

After properly documenting incidents and taking the time to observe interactions, confront the bully in order to stand up for your entire workforce. Avoid putting any power in the bully’s hands and establish strong body language and a firm tone of voice when discussing your concerns with their behavior. This step in the process is important because you need to establish a healthy workplace for all employees and show that you support a healthy and safe environment.

Step 3: Create an anti-bullying policy

After you handle a workplace bullying incident, it’s important that you step up and push top executives to reform the company culture. Once again, no one wants to work in a toxic environment and this could hurt recruiting and retention in the long run. Executives should build anti-bullying policies and programs such as mandatory training sessions for managers. Another option is to provide employees with a peer mentor. These policies have the ability to stop workplace bullying before it starts if enforced in a consistent manner.

While bullying is an unfortunate reality for many throughout their lives, it doesn’t have to be a reality in the workplace. For five other ways to improve your company culture, check out the WorkSmart blog!