is your bottom line being bullied? dr susan m steinman tel. (011) 664-7551/[email protected]...

Is your bottom line being bullied?

Dr Susan M SteinmanTel. (011) 664-7551/[email protected] Towards decent workplaces



Dr Susan M SteinmanTel. (011) 664-7551/[email protected]

It is bullying when….It is bullying when….

What is bullying?

the offensive behaviour/attack(s) is:

•persistent, prolonged and happens over a period of time

• damaging and humiliating

• cruel, malicious, vindictive, unfair, overt or covert



•likely to have an impact on victims’ physical and emotional health, well-being and career/social development

Of interest in defining:

• “Mobbing” is collective bullying

•The perpetrator has the power to bully

It is a human rights issue!DIGNITY AND RESPECT

What is bullying?



Confused with other forms of negative interaction

Corporate culture influences its manifestation

Shame and denial

There are different reasons why bullying happens

The problem with bullying….

Facts and Fiction



• Personality factors and its relevance

• Power shift

• Economic conditions

• Social status of the victims

• Corporate culture, policy & leadership

• Managerial factors

• Change

• Popular literature encourages bullying

Multiple causes

Causes



• Perpetrators select their victims

• Risk assessment

• Reasons differ

• Bullying is a predictable process

• Examples of how bullying happens

• Victim response and consequences

• Organisational response and consequences

Multiple causes

The Ugly Face of Bullying



ResearchResearch• Online survey -

78% had been victimised at some stage during their careers (1998-2000)

• Confirmed in the (ILO/WHO/ ICN/PSI) 2001/2002 survey

2001/2002 Survey:

• Verbal abuse: 52%

• Bullying/mobbing: 20,6%

• Racial harassment: 22,5%

• Sexual harassment: 4,6% (78% female respondents)

• At risk - minority groups in work-settings

Research in South Africa indicates



What research tells usWhat research tells us• PTSD symptoms –

impact even worse than physical violence.

• PTSD symptoms prevail 5 years after the incident.

• What employees want is VALIDATION.

What research tells us

• Policies result in 75% reduction in the frequency of incidents.

• World-wide – bullying is worse in the public sector.

• Coping mechanisms: own support systems or “God/shebeen” alternative.



Can you afford bullying?Can you afford bullying?Business and Unions should work together:

- trade unions must help members- business is losing money- it is costing billions

UK Research- 25% of bullied targets leave- 20% of witnesses leave

This costs money!!!!!

The cost of bullying



Calculating the CostCalculating the CostQuantify this:

20 people are working in a department.

3 are being bullied and 6 are witnesses.

= 9 lose 4,5 hours per week.

They earn an average salary of R100 000 per year and work on average 174 hours pm, 2088 per year.

20 x R100 000 = R2 million salary bill9 = R900 0004,5 x 52 = 234 x 9 / 2088 x 20 = 19,83%Loss = R396 600.00 on TIME ONLY.




When they leave…When they leave…

Exit Cost ProjectionsExample: Organisation with 1000 staff members10% are bullied = 100 staff members25% leave = 250 staff membersAverage replacement cost = R50 000 (UK £30k)Total cost = 250 x R50 000 = R1 250 000 (Victims)If 2 witnesses per person = 200 staff20% leave = 40 staff x R50 000 = R2m (Witnesses)

Add to this legal costs!!




Do somethingDo somethingAmmunition

Causes of bullying? 90+% agree the following:

‘Bullies can get away with it’‘Workers are too scared to report it”

“It is useless to report it”

i.e. Perceived acceptance within the organisation

Doing nothing is not neutral!Taking action



PreventionPreventionOn what level do we deal with the problem?

It is a core management issue!

Management activities should be centred around a risk management strategy, i.e. identifying and assessing risks and associated losses, and developing strategies for action!

Prevention


Dr Susan M SteinmanTel. (011) 664-7551/[email protected] Prevention

continued

• action should form part of mainstream corporate strategy

• the management of internal conflict must be facilitated - clear, unambiguous communication at all levels

• strategies for prevention should form part of occupational health and safety strategy and facilitated by EAP professionals



continued

• identify potential areas of conflict

• counsellors as part of overall management, not in place of a strategy

• review, monitor, adjust policies and programmes continuously

• Involve everybody

• Selection and screening

• Training in workplace bullying, interpersonal relationships



continued

• STOP violence and bullying - make a statement

•Commit to transparency, policies, support and facilitate process.

•Solve problems fast

• Ensure that staffing levels are appropriate - overloading staff is CORPORATE AGGRESSION



continued

•Facilitate recording and reporting of all incidents - even if it is small

•Record details - consider relations, outcomes & if preventive measures had been introduced

•Protect nobody - justice must be seen to be done

• Not just on paper!

is your bottom line being bullied? dr susan m steinman tel. (011) 664-7551/[email protected]...

Documents

dr susan

cost of bullying slide

collective bullying

worldwide bullying

ugly face of bullying

bullied targets

covert slide

fiction slide