Preventing Workplace Bullying
Removing fear is key to facilitating a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace. As it relates to workplace bullying, that means removing the fear of being bullied and the fear of speaking up about it. Preventing workplace bullying requires ongoing effort and commitment from everyone in the organization. By creating a respectful and inclusive workplace, employers can help ensure their employees’ well-being and psychological safety. Use this checklist as a general guide for preventing bullying in the workplace.
Risk Assessment
Identify what is considered bullying in the workplace.
- Workplace bullying is repetitive, deliberate verbal, nonverbal and physical actions directed against a peer or subordinate for the sole purpose of dominating or controlling. Bullying involves a pattern of repeated behaviour and mistreatment of an employee by one or more co-workers that prevents the target from accomplishing work tasks.
- Common examples of bullying include relentless, unwanted personal attacks that direct unfounded criticism, unwarranted judgment that humiliates, and verbal abuse. Mistreatment can include threatening conduct like intimidation, humiliation or sabotage.
Identify bullying hazards. Examples of bullying hazards include employee absenteeism, sick leave, increased turnover and employers’ liability.
Conduct a workplace survey. Employees may be able to shed light on helpful information for a risk assessment and the state of bullying in their workplace.
Policies and Procedures
Establish an anti-bullying policy. A clear and comprehensive policy may include the following:
- A commitment to providing employees with a healthy and safe working environment
- Definitions of workplace bullying, along with examples of what is—and isn’t—bullying
- Code of conduct or expected employee behaviour
- Details on how the policy applies in connection with work and work-related events and activities (e.g., the inclusion of holiday parties, team-building outings and off-site gatherings)
- A statement that the policy applies to all communication (e.g., text messages, email and social media)
- Instructions for how employees can report allegations of workplace bullying
- Employee consequences if the policy is not followed, including how the employer will investigate and respond to reported incidents
Assess, update or develop a code of conduct. All employees must understand the basic rules for respect at work and what is expected of everyone.
Appoint a person as the primary contact or mediator for concerns and complaints. Employers can establish a point person (e.g., an HR representative) to reduce confusion in reporting incidents. This employee can also work on building authentic relationships with workers to increase trust and honesty.
Establish a process. It’s important to create and document a process for making a complaint, investigating incidents and resolving them.
Document all incidents and actions taken. In the case of legal challenges, employers must maintain thorough records of bullying incidents, investigations and measures taken to address them. Such records can also ensure consistency in addressing similar incidents.
Monitor retaliation. Employers should take appropriate action to protect the victim and address the issue if retaliation occurs.
Conduct regular assessments. Employers should periodically evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies and initiatives and use employee feedback to improve prevention strategies.
Employee Relations
Train employees and management. Regular training sessions to educate workers about bullying and its impact on the workplace can help emphasize the importance of maintaining a respectful and inclusive work culture. Training for managers is vital because bullying in the workplace can cause widespread problems that affect everyone, not just the bully and the victim. Given their role, managers have the potential to identify, prevent, handle and combat negative behaviour in the workplace.
Promote the anti-bullying policy. All employees should know what to do if they witness or are a victim of workplace bullying. To increase awareness, employers can promote the policy on notice boards or a company intranet and during regular team meetings.
Encourage open communication. Anonymous reporting channels can help employees feel more comfortable reporting incidents. It can also be helpful to offer various channels to increase the likelihood of employees reporting incidents.
Lead by example. The organization’s leadership, managers and supervisors are responsible for exhibiting respectful behaviour and treating employees fairly. Leadership should hold managers accountable and actively demonstrate the values and principles outlined in the company policy.
Maintain confidentiality. To preserve trust in the reporting process, keep the identities of workers involved in bullying incidents confidential as much as possible.
Support victims and witnesses. To support psychological safety, employers should offer support and resources to victims of workplace bullying and witnesses who report incidents. Examples of resources include counselling services, access to employee assistance programs and temporary job reassignments, if necessary.
Address incidents promptly. Swift and appropriate action is necessary to address workplace bullying. To expedite this step, support and disciplinary measures should be outlined in the anti-bullying policy.
Promote teamwork. A positive work environment can deter bullying behaviours, so employers should consider ways to promote positive relationships, collaboration and camaraderie among employees.
Bullying may sometimes violate provincial regulations or certain labour and employment laws, such as The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or the Canadian Human Rights Act. Therefore, employers may want to consult with local legal counsel when addressing specific incidents of workplace bullying.
For more information on human resources and, or to find out how to reduce your insurance costs call CMB at 780.424.2727 or click here to get a quote.