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AGENCY NAME & AGENCY BRANDING

Appropriate Workplace Behaviours

Your Right – Your Responsibility

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What’s the Situation?

350 000 Australians could currently be experiencing inappropriate behaviours in the workplace

Estimated to cost between $6 billion and $13 billion/annum in Australia

(QLD Workplace Bullying Issues Paper – September 2001)

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What’s the Situation?

Incidence of bullying in the NTPS as at July 2003:

Daily 3.1% Weekly 5.8% Now & then 22.7%

In (agency)?

if known otherwise - Unknown at this point in time

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Aims of the Session

Clear understanding of:

Why it’s important to deal with inappropriate behaviours

What are “inappropriate behaviours”

Impact on an individual and organisation

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Aims of the Session

Your responsibilities and rights

Dealing with inappropriate behaviours

Support systems available for staff

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What Are Inappropriate Behaviours?

Bullying

Harassment

Discrimination

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Bullying

“ Workplace bullying is the less favourable treatment of an employee by one or more employees which harms, intimidates, threatens, victimises, undermines, offends, degrades, ridicules, insults or humiliates an employee or employees, whether in front of co-workers, clients, visitors, customers or alone”

(OCPE Preventing & Eliminating Workplace Bullying in the NTPS Framework 2005 )

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Bullying

Examples include: intimidation isolating a person withholding information needed

for a job shouting at a person spreading gossip about a person sabotage of a person’s work

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Harassment(insert Definition or Statement from Agency’s Policy or Guidelines, otherwise refer to other agency’s as examples – see below

‘Consists of behaviour that is perceived to be

offensive, abusive, belittling or threatening.

Can be indirect, unintentional or deliberately

directed at an individual or group of workers.

The behaviour is unwelcome, unsolicited, unreciprocated &/or usually but not always repeated.’

(DCIS Policy & Guidelines))

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Harassment

May include:

physical contact verbal comments - teasing,

lewd jokes, abusive comments non-verbal action - emails, gestures,

displays of insulting material sexual harassment (Batchelor

Institute)

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Discrimination

Any distinction, restriction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of a particular attribute

Harassment on the basis of an attribute

(NT Anti-Discrimination Act)

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Discrimination

Attributes include: race, gender or age sexuality marital status or pregnancy impairment union or employer association activity religious belief irrelevant medical/criminal record body shape/size

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Other Inappropriate Behaviours

Workplace Mobbing is: Passive aggressive group behaviour that is used

as a deliberate strategy to cause harm to another worker with the intention of having that worker relinquish their employment

Workplace mobbing can be directed to managers or supervisors (upwards), colleagues (parallel) or someone in a less senior position (downwards).

(NT WorkSafe)

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Upwards Bullying Australian managers are increasingly vulnerable to

workplace bullying from their staff in the current environment of rapid and disjointed organisational change.

Upwards bullying can occur when an employee does not respect his or her manager and exploits the fact that the manager is dependent on them to do their job effectively.

Present a dilemma for managers, in that if they ignore it, it looks as though they are not doing their job properly; alternatively if they disciplined the employee, they run the risk of a grievance claim or an accusation of bullying.(Sara Branch – Organisational Psychologist, Griffith University Workplace Bullying and Violence Research Team courtesy of NT WorkSafe

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What Isn’t Inappropriate Behaviour?

Occasional differences in opinion, non-aggressive conflicts & problems in working relationships.

Legitimate comment, advice and direction from managers in accordance with the Public Sector Employment & Management Act.

Appropriate management of poor performance, issues of bad behaviour, inappropriate dress etc

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Relevant Legislation

NT LEGISLATION Public Sector Employment and Management Act NT Anti-Discrimination Act Work Health Act and Regulations Whistleblower Legislation (in draft)

COMMONWEALTH LEGISLTAION Racial Discrimination Act Sex Discrimination Act Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Act Workplace Relations Act Age Discrimination Act Disability Discrimination Act Mental Health Act

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Organisational Impact

Loss in reputation

Decline in staff morale

Increased staff turnover

Lost productivity

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Organisational Impact

Unsafe work environment

Increased sick leave and absenteeism

Workers’ compensation claims

Cost of investigation, litigation, settlements

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NT Government Costs

Stress related workers compensation claims

01/01/2000 – 15/04/05

Male 22Female 60Days lost 5460Benefits paid $1,741,499

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Individual Impact

Psychological: stress, loss of self-esteem, depression and loss of trust

Physical: headaches, stomach problems and panic attacks

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Individual Impact

Social: isolation, social withdrawal, family problems and attempted suicide

Career: black-listing and job loss

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ACTIVITY

Case Scenarios:

In small groups, consider the scenarios provided

Discuss whether or not you think there are issues of inappropriate behaviour and why

Discuss possible responses

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Dealing with Inappropriate Behaviours

Informal measures are often the best way to resolve cases:

Less traumatic and faster

Focus on improving future working relationships

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The Individual

Approach the alleged perpetrator:

Describe the unwanted behaviour and request that it stop.

Focus on the effect of the behaviour.

Don’t make it a personalised attack.

Try to get agreement on future interactions.

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The Individual

Keep a diary of events

Record incidents in as much detail as possible.

Record names of witnesses.

Record names of people willing to support your claim.

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Employee believes another has acted inappropriatelytowards them or another

Individual approaches alleged perpetrator & requests unwanted behaviour stop

Inappropriate behaviour continues

Inform Manager & ask for assistance

Informal intervention (mediation)

Manager introduces awareness sessions

Individual dissatisfied with outcome

Inappropriate behaviour stopsNO FURTHER ACTION

Inappropriate behaviour stopsNO FURTHER ACTION

Internal to CEO

Focus on behaviourDon’t attack

Support person

External to Office of CommissionerFor Public Employment

Lodge Formal Complaint/Grievance

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The Manager/Supervisor

Act promptly/ maintain confidentiality.

Note details from the alleged victim and what action/support they are seeking.

If aware that inappropriate behaviour is occurring MUST address even if no complaint is made.

Discuss the situation with the alleged perpetrator.

Ensure alleged victim is protected from victimisation

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The Manager/Supervisor

If all parties willing:Facilitate informal meeting

If parties not willing:Another way to resolve informally?Formal grievance

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The Manager/Supervisor

Awareness raising.

Make it clear what is acceptable & appropriate behaviour.

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Support Services

HR (insert agency terminology) Employee Assistance Program Relevant union/Association Working Women’s Centre Community Justice Centre NT Anti-Discrimination Commission ADC Help-Line for Managers/Supervisors 1800

501 288 Peer Support

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Protection for You!

Public Sector Employment & Management Act

Anti-Discrimination Act

Whistleblower legislation – in draft stage

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Responsibilities

All employees are expected and

required to behave ethically and

professionally in the workplace.

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All Employees Must ...

Ensure that own behaviour does not offend, intimidate, belittle or threaten others.

Comply with relevant Acts, Code of Conduct and (agency) policies and procedures.

Participate professionally when getting performance feedback.

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All Employees Must ...

Seek to constructively resolve conflicts

Report inappropriate behaviours so that others are not placed at risk

Respect your work colleagues

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Managers/Supervisors Must ...

Establish and maintain a safe workplace

Ensure employees are aware of and understand their responsibilities

Role model appropriate behaviours

Take complaints seriously

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Managers/Supervisors Must ...

Act if observe inappropriate behaviours

Apply natural justice and procedural fairness

Seek advice if unsure – (HR – insert agency terminology) or ADC Helpline (1800 501288)

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Failure to fulfil responsibilities...

Fines under Work Health legislation

Imprisonment for criminal matters

Disciplinary action under PSE&MA- suspension without pay/ with pay- demotion- dismissal

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Conclusion

Inappropriate behaviours are costly to both the organisation and the individual

Management has a responsibility to take the issue of inappropriate behaviours in the workplace seriously

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Conclusion

As do ALL staff