Workplace Bullying Survival

By Kathryn-Magnolia Feeley

A toxic workplace is a dangerous workplace. Where there is workplace bullying that is tolerated or it has become a part of the workplace culture, that particular workplace is negligent in its responsibility to provide you with a safe workplace. The employer would then be liable to pay you compensation if you are injured from working in such a toxic workplace. In all countries throughout the world, there are numerous organizations and companies where there is an acceptance and entrenchment of toxic workplace behaviour. Mostly it is sinister and hidden, but it is there nevertheless, and if you are the victim of the toxic behaviour, you are subtly made aware of what is happening.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathryn-Magnolia Feeley
• Release date: Jul 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476003979

Book preview

Introduction

A toxic workplace is a dangerous workplace. Where there is workplace bullying that is tolerated or it has become a part of the workplace culture, that particular workplace is negligent in its responsibility to provide you with a safe workplace. The employer would then be liable to pay you compensation if you are injured from working in such a toxic workplace. In all countries throughout the world, there are numerous organizations and companies where there is an acceptance and entrenchment of toxic workplace behaviour. Mostly it is sinister and hidden, but it is there nevertheless, and if you are the victim of the toxic behaviour, you are subtly made aware of what is happening.

The information in this book is to give you empowerment to go forward and get justice and compensation for your workplace injuries. Knowledge is power. The cases referred to are at the end of the book. These cases are from court judgements in Australia, Canada, England, USA, Scotland and Ireland. Most democratic countries will have similar judgements for similar facts as well as similar workplace legislation. Lawyers in each jurisdiction will be able to use much of the material in this book, although it is how they use the information and incorporate it into the legislation where they practise law that will make the difference.

Recently, in Australia, an industrial workplace fell foul of the law for failing to keep bullying tactics out of the workplace. A 16 year old labourer was violently bullied when five men grabbed him and wrapped him in cling wrap from neck to feet, shoved him in a trolley then pushed the trolley to the edge of a 4 metre hole. These ‘workmates’ then proceeded to gag the boy with a fire hose, turned it on and then added sawdust and glue. Sometime later, the foreman cut him loose. Management said nothing to the ‘workmates’. There was no anti-bullying policy at the workplace. Management didn’t see a problem.

That culture of initiation and a ‘bit of fun’ is bullying. The poor lad who suffered from those workplace injuries eventually got compensation from the company.

This is an obvious workplace injury but there is also what is known as ‘symbolic violence’ that is caused by bullying. It is equally dangerous and destructive as the more obvious tactics of bullies.

Bullying causes panic attacks that will produce a dry tongue or mouth, sweaty palms, cold clammy skin, skin pallor, papillary dilation and fluctuations in blood pressure. These are the physical signs of a panic attack and, everyday in workforces worldwide, there are millions of employees suffering from these physical ailments because of workplace bullying.

These injuries from bullying can last for years but I now want you to understand that you are entitled to compensation from workplace injuries as a result of workplace bullying.

The workplace bullying (of a bit of fun as some would call it) will often leave you with a feeling of intense fear, helplessness or horror of the workplace. It can reduce a person to a daze of disbelief and numbing. The most common reactions to the traumatic events of bullying are recurrent images, thoughts, flashback episodes and a constant sense of reliving the experience and distress.

Bullying is not your perception nor is it the fact that you are labelled sensitive. It is a power play because the bullies like their victims know they, the bullies, have the power and they are smug in their knowledge that you will do nothing about it.

Well – aren’t they in for a shock! This book will give you the power and the knowledge to litigate for compensation for your injuries.

Bullying occurs in all positions, occupations and professions. It can be injurious to employees in manufacturing, trades, nursing, teaching, public service, banking, administration, and all professions to name a few.

This book will show you the tricks that employers (and their lawyers) will use to trivialize your injuries that would reduce your claim for compensation. They will use lies, tricks and subterfuge in the workplace to undermine you and give themselves a sense of power.

You are an individual with rights. Your workplace is not to be considered a minefield for daily battles. You have the right to be safe in your workplace. The laws of your jurisdiction as well as the United Nations Charter on Human Rights no doubt, enshrine workplace safety.

One of the reasons that people find it difficult to seek help from workplace bullying is that they are afraid that they will be seen as a weak person who is unable to cope in the workplace.

Au contraire – according to research, victims are usually ‘competent, successful, confident and qualified in contrast to bullies who are weak, jealous and lacking in confidence’ (Rowell 2005). The bullies seek to weaken their victims through one-on-one tactics to break the victim’s spirit. Co-workers who may be jealous of the victim could also collectively act in mobbing activities as sycophants of the bully to weaken the victim or even destroy the victim. If there is a gang at work conspiring to injure you, then that is venturing into criminal law which we look at later. Conspiracy to injure is serious.

The term ‘bullying’ is already used in organizations; therefore, it is legitimate (Liefooghe et al 2010). The term comes from schools but in organizations, the negative acts can be far subtler. It is an abuse of formal power and is often used as a strategy to influence and control employees (Hutchinson 2010). There is a marked resistance from Human Resources departments in organizations worldwide to admit that there is bullying within their organizational culture so they fuss with bullying awareness programs to show that they are doing something. All that does is make the victim feel more powerless and the perpetrator gets away with it.

True stories

SCENARIO 1

OFFICE – a middle aged grey and balding professional man who was shoved into an outer office, given no work and excluded from social activities, was told by the 28-year-old supervisor that his work was no good and that he should consider retiring. The man, who had two university degrees, was only given menial tasks that were meant to demean him and his sense of self worth. He was forced to undergo a psychiatric examination under the Public Service Act (Qld) even though there were no grounds for such an examination. He died two weeks after forced retirement.

SCENARIO 2

HOSPITAL – a nurse in large rural hospital in Australia was bullied by her supervisor because she tried to blow the whistle on a powerful white man who was a suspected paedophile working in the Aboriginal rural community.

The nurse was told that she was obstructing funding for the hospital and was forced by her supervisor to lift equipment that was far too heavy for her. She had a miscarriage and suffered a total breakdown because she couldn’t save the Aboriginal kids.

SCENARIO 3

APPRENTICE in the army was physical and emotionally abused and was told to take it. The soldier underwent dangerous activities for initiation and was bullied because of his dark skin. He attempted suicide.

SCENARIO 4

SCHOOL – a middle aged, overweight female teacher at a primary school was given duties that were beyond her physical capabilities. She was subjected to snide remarks and received an unfair performance appraisal because she could not physically do the extra curricular activities. She developed cancer.

SCENARIO 5

POLICE FORCE – a young male policeman was bullied by his colleagues –known as horizontal bullying. The toxic acts included changing his name from Rick to Prick on all internal mail, ripping up the prayers that he had stuck to his computer, smashing his personalized mug, laughing when his dog died, totally ignoring him in the workplace and he was only spoken to through a third person – never spoken to directly by other police.

Recognize any of these true scenarios? Workplace bullying is a worldwide phenomenon and it costs businesses billions of dollars a year with employee stress, absenteeism, workplace injuries and subsequent court cases.

Workplace trauma can be caused by major events or it can be a constant tirade of nastiness or bitchiness. Look at what has happened in some workplaces in Australia.

- A man was poisoned by a workmate with an ethanol-based liquid poured into his coffee. He worked for an airline.

- Workmates poured urine into a colleague’s car vents. This happened at a government department.

- At a Halloween party, a mock up tombstone had a worker’s name on it. This sent the worker into severe depression, as this was the culmination of other nasty actions. The Halloween party was a work event for an airline – therefore the party has to be considered the workplace. We will discuss what exactly is a ‘workplace’ later in the series.

- A worker found a photo of her boss in her locker at work. The boss was