Author Archives: bullyinworkplace

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About bullyinworkplace

I am currently working on two documentaries. One involves both a traditional documentary about the devastating impact of Workplace Bullying and a transmedia project that turns it into an interactive web-documentary . The other more traditional project is about Maria Martin's groundbreaking work to train indigenous Mayan journalists in Guatemala who risk their lives to link their remote communities to the global dialogue. My documentaries have been broadcast internationally, and screened at major festivals including; HBO, PBS The Sundance Channel,The Sundance Film Festival, Human Rights Watch, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art,The Walker Art Center, The Warhol Museum, The Kitchen. 71 West Broadway: Ground Zero, New York, NY was selected as part of the memorial presentation at the Library of Congress, which has included it in the national 9/11 film archive. Portions of Invisible Revolution, were featured on ABC’s 20/20, Dateline, and HBO specials on domestic terrorism.

When Bosses Are Bullied

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We all know it exists.  The co-worker that just makes their boss’ life miserable and meetings are power struggles that hinge on games meant to humiliate the manager and make them look foolish.  Or the employee refuses to provide important information or perform a task on time in order to sabotage their Boss and make them look inept to their superiors.   Maybe the employee’s ideas weren’t implemented or they don’t like the performance review they received.  Maybe they don’t like authority.   Groundbreaking research in this area shows that the impact is the same.  The study below found that: “Over half of the interviewees (including most of the managers who experienced an experience of upwards bullying) reported an increase in stress, along with anxiety symptoms such as shaking and sleeplessness. Interviewees also reported experiencing anxiety attacks and clinical depression.” Continue reading →

How Should We Protect Offices From Workplace Shootings?

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News reports reveal that weeks before the “Dark Knight Killer” murdered 12 innocent victims, his psychiatrist told the “the Threat Assesment” committee at the University of Colorado that Holmes was a possible danger to the campus community.  But, since Holmes dropped out of school at about that same time, the alerts to the danger he posed fell through the cracks.  The debate now begins about what the University should or could have done to prevent the tragic deaths we morn as a nation.  Shortly after Holmes’ senseless masacre a Maryland man was arrested for making general threats that he too was “the Joker” and, with a substantial arsenal sitting in his home, that he would shoot up his workplace.  He will soon be freed on a misdemeanor.  Here is a reprint of a CNN news report that raises serious issues and concerns about how workplace violence can be assessed and prevented: Continue reading →

“Arrogance” in the Workplace

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“We are living in the age of arrogance”

Stanley B. Silverman says he was intrigued with the idea of measuring the level of arrogance in the workplace.  Silverman, Russell E. Johnson and several Colleagues came up with the 22 item WARS scale to define these behaviors and the result is both fascinating and confirmation of what many of us have always suspected. The higher the level of arrogance the lower the level of performance, self-esteem and humility. At the core of the arrogant boss is the idea that they need to make sure that “their candle burns brighter” than anyone else by making “everyone else’s look smaller.” In a real life replay of the emperor’s new clothes, messengers are destroyed if they don’t tell these bosses what they want to hear – even if it actually destroys the business. Continue reading →

Australia Told To Enact Law Requiring Workplace Bullying Policies: U.S. Still Falls Far Behind

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Other industrialized countries have enacted workplace anti-bullying protections – some decades ago.  Australia now takes the lead as it conducts an impressive inquiry into workplace bullying.  Early testimony released by Australia says national legislation requiring employers to implement strong, clear policies is needed.

U.S. Falls Farther Behind

The following text is from the organization lobbying State by State for passage of their anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill:

…it doesn’t mandate the state to do anything and it has no fiscal impact, nor does it make employers do anything. If they want to be abusive then they operate under the threat of litigation. Which should scare them but truth be told it doesn’t scare them too much… Continue reading →

University Workers Complain Workplace Bullying Policies Fall Short

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When Policies Don’t Work

I would give anything to have the U.S. replicate the broad national investigation of abuse in our work cultures that Australia is currently undergoing.  [sign our petition] At least we can watch from halfway around the world and learn from information being presented.  Because, one of the issues being discussed is that policies in the workplace need certain components if they are going to be effective.   Unfortunately, here in America the most popular template for legislation, the Healthy Workplace Bill, doesn’t even require employers to put policies in place much less dictate that the point person for employees to complain to should be separate from HR.  Hopefully that will change and the bill will be amended by some smart legislator before it passes. Continue reading →

Healthcare And Workplace Bullying: Beth’s Story

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I met Beth through our warm and supportive Facebook Group which encourages targets, past and present, to share information and resources  with each other.  Beth is publicly sharing her powerful story, printed below, to help raise awareness about the devastating impact of abusive workplaces.  She did reach out to the EEOC but says they couldn’t help because her employer was able to make the case that her termination was based on business protocol.  The same hurdle is required in the pending legislation she is lobbying for.  So, from that perspective, we ask what might have helped her?  Some states compensate for the mental duress like Beth experienced and even include back pay/front pay.   Currently that depends on what state you live in and many advocates are fighting to have current laws strengthened and expanded on a national level.     Our warmest thanks to Beth for sharing her story  – for more stories or to share your own go to our sister site NoJobIsWorthThis.com .

My Story

This is “My Story” about being bullied by the Practice Manager of a Doctors office. She had been there about three years. I was there over fifteen. Looking back and trying to put the pieces of my life back together. I now know what was the begining of her attempt to control me and the start of the bullying. I was blind Continue reading →