photo by Beverly Peterson
Monday night an ominous OEM alert, “shelter in place,” flashed onto my cellphone and our neighborhood’s power flickered out. It was comforting to hear emergency sirens piercing the dark as Hurricane Sandy began pushing the Hudson River up our street. A few blocks away an oil tanker washed ashore. Transformers
exploded lighting the sky with strange alien flashes. The smell of Continue reading
The Hartford News publishes a regular column on racism and homophobia by the Community Party. They are currently focusing on claims of abuse at Connecticut Valley Hospital and note that “Rep. Matt Ritter has agreed to meet with CP and CVH employees next month to discuss abusive workplace conduct at the facility.” The CP is hoping that workplace bullying legislation would strengthen protections for CVH employees. With permission, here’s an excerpt from the Community Party’s latest article: Continue reading
Workplace bullying is a hot media topic and a growing number of organizations, cities, and communities have folded bullying into existing harassment policies. But, independent surveys keep reflecting a rise in abusive work relationships. Why? A survey conducted by Leadership, Employment and Direction (L.E.A.D) may shed some light on what’s going on here in the U.S. Here’s an excerpt from an article in Hospitality Magazine on the survey’s result: Continue reading
Years ago when I made my first documentary on the topic of workplace bullying & harassment I found the old training film for secretarial schools posted below. In it a young-ish woman is about to take her first clerical position. No one bothered to mention to her that she’d probably be called “girl” “sweetie” “honey” or that her bosses would make rude insinuations she’d have to ignore in order to keep her job. That enlightenment was still decades away. Here’s a link to a great resource with thorough information on sexual harassment laws today. I send a big warm hug to all of the women who worked so hard over the decades to fight for our rights. Continue reading
Legislators, journalists, advocates and targets will find this book by Patricia G. Barnes a much needed resource with tons of information about workplace bullying and a special focus on current and possible legislation. Barnes offers honest critique of the proposed Healthy Workplace Bill and brings a fresh perspective and much needed voice to this effort. You can, like me, send a “gift” copy to your state legislator to use as a reference that outlines a variety of approaches to prevent bullying. Barnes is an appellate and trial court judge, a licensed attorney and an author of legal books, magazine articles and newspaper op-ed columns. She became interested in workplace abuse and bullying issues Continue reading
Within weeks of Kevin Morrissey’s suicide, advocates and journalists quickly pinned the “bully” label on his boss, Ted Genoways. The story went viral and turned workplace bullying into a hot topic with Kevin the “poster child” for the Workplace Bullying Institute’s legislation. But, was Ted really a bully? And, who should decide? This provocative film, What Killed Kevin?, challenges common misconceptions and forces the viewer to decide for themselves. Featured are Ted Genoways, Kevin’s co-worker Waldo Jaquith, Kevin’s sister Maria, journalist Dave McNair and advocates for the Healthy Workplace Bill. What Killed Kevin? is currently available for purchase by public and university libraries for educational use. Here’s more information:
OUR BULLY PULPIT 