One of our local employers was on the front page of the Monadnock Ledger last week regarding a $400,000 settlement with OSHA for worker safety violations. Ouch! They not only have to pay the fines, but they also must take corrective actions & improve the safety of their workplaces for all of their employees. They have agreed to get a full time safety &...
Health Issues: Bullying in the Workplace
Submitted by Health Forum on Sun 11/6/11 5:24 pm
Recently on the LinkedIn group, Let's Talk Health Care, I asked what one change people would make to create a healthier workplace. If I had one change to suggest, it would be zero tolerance for bullying. I've worked in environments where the bullies were the managers and where the bullies were fellow employees. No matter who is the subject of the bullying (and men are just as likely to be bullied as women), a hostile environment drains everyone's energy.
Bullying is particularly frustrating when it is the preferred response to anything going wrong; it's easier to cast blame than solve the problem.
Bullying can be subtle, unrecognized until later when resentment hits hard. Once I sat with all my coworkers at a company meeting with a new executive. He said, "We treat people like adults around here and we expect them to act like adults. Are you adults? If you're an adult, stand up."
Only one person in the room had the courage to stay seated. It wasn't me, but I wish it had been; for that executive was clearly a bully.
For more conversations about health, see the Harvard Pilgrim LinkedIn group, Let's Talk Health Care.
Harvard Pilgrim is compensating the author for participating in the Let's Talk Health Care program but the opinions expressed are the author's own.