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What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know

Workplace Bullying Is A Core Element Of Management

by Joe
(Canada)

Bullying or mobbing exist in the workplace because those in charge, both management and unions, nurture it. The workplace culture and it's rules have failed miserably. The workplace must value human life in meaningful ways and not just in snazzy posters.

Laws, labor contracts, investigation procedures, etc, have to change otherwise only superficial improvements can be made to stop office bullying.

Working in a unionized setting I have seen appalling atrocities that destroy and end lives. The ultimate goal is to destroy, often kill the victim and send both the victim and the family through enormous life time suffering. It's no wonder that employees go postal when day after day they hear workers telling them they are so worthless that suicide is the only option, mocking physical appearance continuously, demeaning work, spreading defamation, etc. This is happening because management, unions, corporate boards, courts, media, etc condone it, either directly or by looking the other way.

To validate bullying and protect themselves, bulliers adopt any demeaning tactic to defame, isolate and dehumanize their victims. Honest, law abiding, long standing, hard working individuals are bombarded with bizarre and inflammatory accusations of being anything from thieves to pedophiles, no low is too low for bulliers. The point is that once the victim is dead or declared mentally incompetent the defamation joy ride will be consequence free. The attitude is get on the wagon and suck up to your leaders like good nazis rounding up Jews for the crematorium.

The end goal of bullying being to cause death. Death of self respect, career, livelihood, happiness, the victim's life and possibly other lives like those of the victim's family which the abusers see as as insignificant collateral damage of their atrocities.

The key to workplace bullying success is to incorporate false accusations of criminal and or sexual misconduct. The latter in particular gives the bulliers a teflon shield which serves to validate their atrocities.

Acknowledging workplace bullying is a good start but nothing will change unless the protection used by bulliers is addressed. False testimony is rampant in court hearings such as the Milgard case in Canada. If courts don't get honest evidence how likely is it that co-workers, under the approving eye of their leaders, will tell the truth? Not likely. Police used polygraphs to get to the truth in the Milgard case. The extremely severe consequences of mobbing cases demand the same type of scrutiny.

Unions sold out their members by refusing to keep records of (usually secret) disciplinary hearings so accountability is completely non-existent.

Bullying, along with the victim's suffering such as suicide, divorce, poverty, etc are all part of leadership's objectives. Until the rules change to hold our leaders accountable, good, but only limited improvements can be made.

Comments for Workplace Bullying Is A Core Element Of Management

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Collusion
by: Linda Guirey

You are absolutely right. As long as we have leaders and managers turning a blind eye, or actively involved in bullying staff, then we have very little chance that it will ever be addressed effectively.

So many managers, leaders and even general staff, know that bullying is occurring, but say nothing. That then means that you are colluding with the bully, you become part of the problem and not part of the solution.

If we created a zero tolerance, had no shadow of collusion, then the bully becomes isolated. Bullies need targets! Without them, they can't bully. Bullies also need the shadow of collusion, to support what they are doing - creating a culture where no-one will speak up.

Then you have mobbing, where bullies will actively recruit others to bully alongside them. 'Mobbing' being the ornithological term used to describe what birds do, when another 'outside bird' enters their flock. They get pecked to death.

From managers, leaders and unions down - we need a collective agreement that bullying will not be tolerated, will have severe consequences, and that all staff are actively encouraged to speak up when they witness or experience abusive behaviour in the workplace.

Linda Guirey
The 'Marbles Expert'
www.lindaguirey.co.nz

Mobbing Includes Other Crimes and Risks
by: Joe

Thank you Linda for your comments. The leadership are the mobbing or office bullying initiators. They teach staff how to mob in order to get rid of the targeted victims. Leadership instructs staff about making inflammatory comments, staging confrontations, spreading defamation, grey areas, etc. Mobbing is a large scale psychotic terror attack on an individual that reflects culture and values of the organization from top to bottom. The sheer magnitude of the mob makes it very difficult to fight back. Rather than lay off or fire an employee who is above average, actions which have cost implications, it?s a whole lot cheaper to destroy them altogether. As mobbing includes defamation to destroy the victim's credibility the scope of damage expands outside of the workplace to the community.
Against whom is legal action to be taken in a mobbing case? Those who took part could number many coworkers, all management, ownership, human resources, unions, board of directors, neighbours, etc. False accusation volumes can explode by simply passing the (unpopularity) petition around. Modern technology is well suited to the mob's defamation. Emails, cell phones, etc are used to take compromising altered photos, etc that make the permanent defamation branding by the mob immediate and universally known. The best advice is be the best and most qualified worker with exit options kept at your finger tips. Unfortunately this spells the death of workplace loyalty as all coworkers have to do is hint firmly that one may be victimized and that person should leave otherwise you and your family can so very easily be completely destroyed for life. The tail wags the dog.
As a manager coping with a mobbing culture in a job depending on competitive results you face the difficult retention and recruiting problems. Mobbing impacts the better staff in the upper productivity tier that carry the weight and help you to get kudos from your bosses. Imagine your best going over to the competition armed with herculean motivation to mercurially outcompete your business. If it happens once in your workplace insecurity can spread like a wildfire with all better staff wondering if they are next. A simple management change can make anyone vulnerable to mobbing.
If you are an unwilling employer or manager caught in a mobbing situation that is spiralling out of control take charge by getting the employee out of the workplace in a responsible manner. Amicably discuss options with the victim like telecommuting, sending her on a project to another location, etc. If such options are not available to you as a manager then you may want to consider seeking new employment where mobbing is not so prominent. Sweeping legal reforms making mobbing a crime are occurring in many areas. It?s probably just a matter of time until the laws catch up to your employer. Potentially leaving you holding the bag for their crimes in a class action law suit involving many such cases.

Why do people bully ?
by: Lar

I am in agreement with some of your arguments, but, personally I believe that "workplace bullying/mobbing" is merely a microcosm of a broader aggressive societal culture.
The fact that everyday, individuals are singled out as "targets" in workplaces, expresses a fundamental cognitive perception of what is implicitly permissible behaviour.
That is, bullies bully because they can.
And I know from first hand experience, that once one is targeted, the writing is on the wall.
If you happen to be the unfortunate one to cross paths with a "bully", then you will understand the insidiousness of the effects.
Bullying/mobbing is a very effective method of maintaining the status quo, why change something that works...
Do you really think most workplace's are interested in creative ideas, and change ?
No. Change represents a threat, and bullies do not respond well to change, therefore the threat must be eliminated.
Any target will tell you that all they wanted in their job/work, was to be left alone so they could perform their work without constant interruption.
One cannot perform their work effectively when one is constantly under attack.
As for myself, the absolute insanity of the entire organizational structure, from the CEO to the clerk, was no longer possible to sustain.
It was as though I was speaking a language that only I understood.
In order to eradicate workplace bullying/mobbing, it has to be seen for what it is, criminal behaviour, and the punishment must fit the crime.
Currently, bullying is not a crime, and that is why targets usually end up looking like whiners in court.
And most targets usually end up not only mentally and physically exhausted, but completely demoralized and broke.
In order to change reality, we must change our perceptions, perception is reality and reality is perception.

Collusion
by: Linda Guirey - The Marbles Expert

From my experience, there are some organisations that want to change, or want to lead the way with zero tolerance to bullying and abusive behaviour. I have worked with some, delivering training - and providing all members of the management team receive the training and they are all in agreement that they want to build a culture where bullying is not tolerated, then the training is more effective. We just need more organisations like that.

I think if more countries made workplace bullying illegal, then we would have more consequences for the bullies. Right now there are some countries and states within countries that have clear workplace bullying legislation - but it is very slow.

We need to keep raising this issue, making more people aware of what workplace bullying is and isn't - and encouraging staff within a workplace to speak up about it and request training, policy and consequences for bullies.

Linda Guirey
www.lindaguirey.co.nz

I am living it...right now
by: Anonymous

I am literally living this nightmare right here, right now. I went from having an excellent reputation and well liked in my work and community to being persecuted....all because I witnessed something unethical. Now I have been sequestered from my coworkers by management and union "secretly" putting me out on admin leave, stating I am mentally unstable. It would be the best for THEM for me to end it all... the suffering they have caused me, my family, my partner, by ending my life. Screw that... I am STILL FIGHTING.

Workplace Bullying Is A Crime And Should Be Treated As Such
by: Anonymous

I too was bullied some years ago but luckily I did not need my job so I left. I did not want to leave my job because I did not want the bully to win. Although, other coworkers viewed her treatment of me as wrong they were too worried to speak up because unlike me they needed their jobs so they put up with her behavior and until I came along were probably being bullied by her themselves and probably were relieved that she directed her evil aggressions on me.

I am now an HR major and have a little more knowledge under my belt as far as what I can do to address the situation if it ever arises again. You can bet that being formerly bullied I will not idly stand by and allow it to continue, that is the only nice thing about not needing to work is that I do not have to put up with the BS and I can fight the people who are bullying without worrying if I am going to lose my job.

In the end when I left my job because of the bully, my husband helped me realize that I nor anybody deserves that kind of treatment and why would I put myself through that if I do not need the job. Today, if that were to occur or wherever I go I will keep a paper trail as well as, not hesitate to contact EEO.

bully
by: Anonymous

My wife has been brought to her knees by "the bully". The "bully" colluded with others to tell management how terrible she was. Then after a 6 week loa for mental anguish, they decide since she was "gone "they would isolate her to destroy her sanity. Amazing how management is actually involved. I'm not sure how you fight back except through the legal system. Probably better to wave the white flag and run!!

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