View Full Version : Workplace bullying
These days with all the PC HR rules and regs I can't see how it could happen in a large organisation like the Government for instance. But I know a lot of peole who work for small firms in this area and have heard of several instances. I used to work for a small firm and a colleague was regularly verbally attacted by the MD. I had a word on a couple of occasions and it stopped for a while but always eventually came back. I left in the end. I liked the job but the boss was just a pratt. How does anyone else tackle it?
Well, adults in the work place are not like kids at school.. There's nothing to glue their feet to the floor is there? And there are always unions and tribunals.
First hand experience of it and it was horrible. I dont do the tribunal and nasties as the way I see it is what goes around always comes back round.
Companys that have employees in power that think they have more power than the owners wont last!!
And in my honest opinion Work place bullying is far worse than playground bullying.
Well, adults in the work place are not like kids at school.. There's nothing to glue their feet to the floor is there? And there are always unions and tribunals.
That's my point about small firms. There is rarely any Union membership and anyway not all jobs have a Union option (mine certainly doesn't). You generally have to loose your job before you can go to a tribunal and again without Union representation it's not any easy thing to do. People often do feel trapped in the situation.
That's my point about small firms. There is rarely any Union membership and anyway not all jobs have a Union option (mine certainly doesn't). You generally have to loose your job before you can go to a tribunal and again without Union representation it's not any easy thing to do. People often do feel trapped in the situation.
You can leave your job and still have a tribunal on the grounds of Constructive Dismissal.
I don't reckon that the victims of workplace bullying would have the confidence to fight the case if they had to take it to tribunal. Bullying erodes the spirit to the extent that the victim is inclined to withdraw from any kind of confrontation as they would do almost anything just to block out the reality of the situation they find themselves in.
TBH from my point of view the bigger organisations are far worse, especially public services.
They are so far wrapped up in PC HR ethical crap it's untrue. The amount of money, public money i.e. your money, wasted by idiot middle management under the guise of PC policies is unbelievable. And yet these are the worst bullies.
I have spent most of my working life in the private sector however I have had stints in the public sector, not normally 6 months at a time as my head would implode, but I will say this: Keep the front line staff at maximum and shoot all the middle management and slowly torture the chief execs'.
I've put a few bullies straight in the private sector, that's easy, but in the public sector they hide behind the PC BS that is there to protect the bullied.
In the private sector you can hit their pocket, in the public sector they have a win win. They bully you they win, you fight back and they use the same policy to go off on full pay with stress through bullying and then come back and start again.
oooh, this is nearly a rant!
Well, adults in the work place are not like kids at school.. There's nothing to glue their feet to the floor is there? And there are always unions and tribunals.
An adults' feet are not glued to the ground. They are usually deeply rooted and any attempt at uprooting will often cause ireeversible damage to the whole structure of their lives and careers.
Unions and tribunals are great for collective protection. However the individual who ends up forced to use them will often find themselves with a reputation as a trouble maker even with no fault of their own. That reputation will follow them out of the job where they were bullied, influencing any future career.
These days with all the PC HR rules and regs I can't see how it could happen in a large organisation like the Government for instance. But I know a lot of peole who work for small firms in this area and have heard of several instances. I used to work for a small firm and a colleague was regularly verbally attacted by the MD. I had a word on a couple of occasions and it stopped for a while but always eventually came back. I left in the end. I liked the job but the boss was just a pratt. How does anyone else tackle it?
Bullying does, of course, go on but also in many instances what is claimed to be bullying is simply people not wanting to be told what to do. Many employees are not prepared to accept that the 'boss' also has responsibility to ensure work is carried out. One just has to look at the example of the police quote last week in the press where officers were taking huge amounts of unpaid sick and then returning in time to retain extra remuneration before their sick leave entitilement reduced salary.
This is exactly my point. The person cant just go as the family etc depend on the income which puts even more pressure on the person being bullied.
What makes it worse is that when its a small place like this you basically just have to shut up and put up or you walk like I did. but then you have to go though hell at the jobcentre as they are telling you that you cant sign on when youve just left your job!! Also try getting another one when you have things being said to you and about you that are not true it stops you getting further employment and also is a form of bullying in itself.
At the end of the day when your with a small firm its only your word against theres and what hurts the most is that though your so called collegues/friends see the bullying they will say nothing just to keep there own jobs!! (sadly I dont work like this, I stand up for other people though I cant for myself)
Unless youve been put into this situation yourself you will never understand the true ins and outs but also each company/person is different.
An adults' feet are not glued to the ground. They are usually deeply rooted and any attempt at uprooting will often cause ireeversible damage to the whole structure of their lives and careers.
Unions and tribunals are great for collective protection. However the individual who ends up forced to use them will often find themselves with a reputation as a trouble maker even with no fault of their own. That reputation will follow them out of the job where they were bullied, influencing any future career.
[evil]
Don't you find that with most bullies they have been given a little power & they think it is then there right to ride roughtshod over everyone else. If a group of you can face up to them in a meeting, with management of some sort, this sometimes helps.
A place I worked for 15yrs had a bully problem, it never got much easier, but O M G it made me a lot stronger person. Say what you want,(with out being rude), always infront of at least 2 other members of staff, or even better management. It may not stop whats hapening but it wrong foots them everytime.
In some cases the bully is in a win win because they have somesort of hold over the boss!!!!! The rest of us are all wrong, the bully is the winner 9 times out of 10, if any direct action is taken.
Make life interesting, don't just back down, do your work, keep your head up, take the money & waite for inevetable! Crap is very smelly when it finaly hits the fan.;)
Very true
thats exactly what happens give these men a little power and it all goes to there head,
Only thing that keeps to mind is it wont last forever and one day they will have someone stronger than me employed and thats when justice will be done and they will basically be out on there backsides.
[evil]
Don't you find that with most bullies they have been given a little power & they think it is then there right to ride roughtshod over everyone else. If a group of you can face up to them in a meeting, with management of some sort, this sometimes helps.
A place I worked for 15yrs had a bully problem, it never got much easier, but O M G it made me a lot stronger person. Say what you want,(with out being rude), always infront of at least 2 other members of staff, or even better management. It may not stop whats hapening but it wrong foots them everytime.
In some cases the bully is in a win win because they have somesort of hold over the boss!!!!! The rest of us are all wrong, the bully is the winner 9 times out of 10, if any direct action is taken.
Make life interesting, don't just back down, do your work, keep your head up, take the money & waite for inevetable! Crap is very smelly when it finaly hits the fan.;)
Mrs Bucket
23-Feb-10, 12:22
Bullying comes in many guises it can be very subtle so that nobody else knows what is going on and proving it can be nigh on impossible. Someone has already pointed out that big organisations and government and council run establishments are among the worst offenders. Im afraid I dont think I will ever really recover from my experience and the people responsible are still there. I am not the only one but I was the only one who spoke up. I tried the proper channels and got nowhere sad but true The big chiefs closed ranks. This sounds defeatist I konw but it is my experience.
achingale
23-Feb-10, 12:22
I can sympathise ducati. I do not know all the ins and outs but a family in a village I lived in left the country because the husband got himself into a state at the thought of even seeing the boss who had bullied him once he had left. He was lucky to get another job but his former boss told the new employers not to employ him. Thankfully they ignored that man as he has a reputation in the county anyway. But even so, the former boss harrassed the man with letters, phone calls, even drivebys etc. I am sure he ended up getting counselling because of the verbal abuse. It all boils down to power and bosses know that people depend on wages to pay mortgages and so on. If verbal abuse begins, the best way to deal with it is to say 'I have taken that point, move on. Next point.' And if he repeats himself, say 'Yes, you have made that point. If you are finished I need to get on with my work.' It must be very wearing though.
lynne duncan
23-Feb-10, 14:07
start a diary and record every conversation time and place, or better record it, then if you do have to go to tribunal you have documented evidence
cuddlepop
23-Feb-10, 14:56
TBH from my point of view the bigger organisations are far worse, especially public services.
They are so far wrapped up in PC HR ethical crap it's untrue. The amount of money, public money i.e. your money, wasted by idiot middle management under the guise of PC policies is unbelievable. And yet these are the worst bullies.
I have spent most of my working life in the private sector however I have had stints in the public sector, not normally 6 months at a time as my head would implode, but I will say this: Keep the front line staff at maximum and shoot all the middle management and slowly torture the chief execs'.
I've put a few bullies straight in the private sector, that's easy, but in the public sector they hide behind the PC BS that is there to protect the bullied.
In the private sector you can hit their pocket, in the public sector they have a win win. They bully you they win, you fight back and they use the same policy to go off on full pay with stress through bullying and then come back and start again.
oooh, this is nearly a rant!
Its a good one and soooo true,especially of our experience with HC practices and procedures.:mad:
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