Category Archives: bullying

WBI Survey: Two Thirds of U.S. Companies Address Workplace Bullying

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If you think the C-Suite isn’t aware of the havoc abusive bosses heap on their employees, think again. According to the startling results of the 2013 Zogby Survey conducted for the Workplace Bullying Institute just *15% of upper management still clings to the outmoded idea that bullying only happens in schools and playgrounds — and perhaps for those lucky few that’s true. In fact, nearly *70% recognize it is a serious problem. Unfortunately, despite this welcome increase in corporate insight, those of us who have been on the receiving end of abusive behavior can certainly argue that this new corporate awareness is less often reflected in how our complaints are addressed. Clearly it’s time to include enlightened employers in the discussions about prevention of abusive work environments. Here’s how Zogby broke down the survey responses: Continue reading →

10 Workplace Rights You Think You Have — But Don’t

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Recently a member of our Facebook group wrote to say her boss told her he’d be going out of town next week so don’t bother coming in. And, oh yeah, she wouldn’t be paid either. Legal in your state? Ask an attorney. But, here’s what the DOL says: “an employer may change an employee’s work hours without giving prior notice or obtaining the employee’s consent (unless otherwise subject to a prior agreement between the employer and employee or the employee’s representative).” Where are those union contracts when we need them? Few of us really know our rights – here’s an important article by an employment lawyer, Donna Ballman, that EVERY employee needs to read: Continue reading →

BULLY now available on DVD

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If you haven’t seen Bully yet, and you’re in the minority if you haven’t, now you can purchase a copy on DVD. Join the movement to stop bullying here – THE BULLY PROJECT. Here’s last years NYTimes review by A.O. Scott: Continue reading →

Employer #fails in attempt to flip bullying policy against employees

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Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

A recent NLRB decision may help protect that venting you’ve been doing about your job on Facebook – so long as it falls under very specific criteria. But, it also shows how an employer can try to flip that “zero tolerance” “bullying & harassment policy” against employees. Slate summed it up this way: “The case—Hispanics United of Buffalo—started one Saturday morning in 2010. That was when domestic violence advocate Mariana Cole-Rivera took to Facebook to complain that one of her co-workers was unfairly accusing fellow employees of laziness. Several other staffers at Hispanics United of Buffalo chimed in to say they worked plenty hard already. Soon after Cole-Rivera and her co-workers returned to work, HUB fired five of them, arguing that their off-the-clock comments had violated the nonprofit’s anti-harassment policy.”  The NLRB decision ruled against HUB’s use of the bullying policy for the terminations: Continue reading →

The “Enlightened” Narcissist

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Enlightened_StuntArt_LauraAmy, played by Laura Dern, is the main character in the Golden Globe winning HBO series, Enlightened. The program’s brilliant co-creator, Mike White, often steals the show as loveable, and presumably invisible, Tyler. When the marketing team for the series contacted us with artwork and a request to help promote their show on this blog I couldn’t resist imagining what would happen if “Amy”, whose newly enlightened state leaves her with an inner need to defend the victimized, decided to advocate against workplace bullying. The way Dern & White have written her character, she would no doubt end up as both victim and perpetrator. I once had a friend who was an Ad Exec who suddenly saw the light and the crass error of his career when he spent a weekend at an EST “experience.” His marketing talent helped him quickly rise within the packaged enlightenment program. That is, until he was ousted for attacking too many disciples as not getting “it.” He was brutal in his desire to show the newbies that they could never reach his level of awareness. Amy would no doubt find bullies everywhere in her corporate walls and neglect to see that she has become one herself. Here’s an example of a storyline from season one: Continue reading →