Eradicating Workplace Bullying: A Guide for Every Organization

By Ronald W. Holmes Ph.D.

This book provides real-life experiences and tips from employees who have been victims of workplace bullying in industries such as education, business, government and healthcare. The book discusses research-based strategies that Human Resources representatives can use to address bullying situations. The book also serves as a reference guide to an online anti-bullying program that provides training for all employees and managers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524624576

Ronald W. Holmes Ph.D.

Ronald Holmes is president and publisher of The Holmes Education Post, an education focused Internet newspaper. He is the author of 24 books, publishes articles on educational issues and offers unique, evidence-based solutions, perspectives, best practices, and resources to improve public education. Ronald Holmes earned a PhD in Educational Leadership, a MED in Educational Administration and Supervision and a BS in Business Education from Florida A&M University. He also earned a MED in Business Education from Bowling Green State University. He has experience as a district superintendent, school administrator, college instructor, school teacher, and test developer.

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© 2016 Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/17/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-2458-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-2457-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016913318

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS BULLYING?

TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKPLACE BULLIES

REAL CASES OF WORKPLACE BULLYING

Advice of Workplace Bullying Targets

WORKPLACE BULLYING PERSPECTIVES

Historical Perspective

Psychological Perspective

Legal Perspective

Leadership Perspective

WORKPLACE BULLYING IMPACTS

WHAT TO DO?

Follow the Law

Establish Policies & Procedures

Educate Employees & Managers

Establish a Reporting Process

Establish Evaluation System for Monitoring Anti-Bullying Prevention Strategies

RESOURCES

REFERENCES

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Just as bullying is prevalent with students in educational institutions (K-20), it is also prevalent with adults in the workplace. In writing this book, Eradicating Workplace Bullying: A Guide for Every Organization, I was concerned about the number of employees who are bullied in the workplace in various organizations.

Within the past three years, I wrote a book on both How to Eradicate Hazing and How to Eradicate Bullying. The hazing book focused on middle school, high school and college students; whereas, the bullying book focused on elementary, middle and high school students. Also, both books are equipped with an online program organized in a distant learning format.

Workplace bullying is a serious and dangerous act, so organizations such as educational institutions, businesses, government agencies and healthcare must engage in research-based solutions to protect the safety, health and livelihood of their employees. These solutions must incorporate anti-bullying policies and procedures earmarked to address workplace bullying and prohibit discrimination and harassment against all people including those in protected groups such as race, color, national origin, sex, disability and religion.

Considering the time, energy and commitment it takes to write a book, I would like to thank my wife, Constance C. Holmes, for being the editor for the book. Her continued dedication and unwavering support to my work and service to public education is greatly appreciated. She truly understands the importance of education and my supreme sacrifice to this calling. I also would like to thank all the participants who shared their stories about bullying in their respective workplaces.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the innocent victims of bullies particularly employees who are confronted with bullying in the workplace, lost their jobs and livelihood due to bullying and other forms of violence in the workplace.

It is my hope that this book will serve as a vehicle to improve organizations’ policies and procedures for their employees and contribute to the eradication of workplace bullying in the U.S. and abroad.

FOREWORD

Just as an alarming number of students are dropping out of school because of their bullies or perpetrators, a great number of employees are quitting their jobs because of their perpetrators in the workplace. Some of these perpetrators in the workplace are considered the same perpetrators from the schoolyard as suggested in numerous studies.

As such, employees are facing a high level of depression and anxiety when they are bullied in the workplace, as well as when they witness their colleagues being bullied. According to a 2014 U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey published by Workplace Bullying Institute, 65.6 million working Americans experienced (37 million) or witnessed (28.7) respectively abusive conduct during their workday (Curry, 2016).

Although there is no standard or universal definition of workplace bullying, this book will use the definition of Workplace Bullying Institute as a guide. As noted in the Healthy Workplace Bill, workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment or verbal abuse of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is threatening, humiliating, intimidating or sabotage that interferes with work or prevents work from getting done.

As used frequently in the research literature, "bullying at work involves repeated negative actions and practices that are directed at one or more employees and undertaken in situations where