Category Archives: workplace bullying

Australia Releases Report On Workplace Bullying

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Workplace Relation’s Minister Bill Shorten was interviewed on ABC TV about the results of Australia’s exhaustive parliamentary inquiry into workplace bullying  Calling it a scourge that runs into billions of dollars and more importantly takes a human toll, Shorten called for “zero tolerance.”  An article in News.com.au says the inquiries report, “Workplace Bullying: We Just Want It To Stop,” recommends “strengthening existing laws and clearly definingwhat workplace bullying is.”  America, are you listening? Continue reading →

Black Thursday? Or, Black Friday? Will Walmart’s employee strike work?

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It all depends on shoppers.  Walmart wants to bring people in before the stirke — and ABC’s Good Morning America glibly helps them make their case:

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We Know Bullying When We See It – or do we?

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One of the problems with subtler claims of workplace bullying is the difficulty in determining who did what to whom, why and what to do about it.  Here’s an article out of Australia that highlights just how complicated perception can be:

An underperforming Canberra public servant was “bullied” by having her work problems addressed in private meetings with her superior, a Commonwealth tribunal has found.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal says that the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) was “insensitive” to the worker’s issues and “humiliated” her by holding one-on-one meetings to talk about her poor performance. Continue reading →

$155 Million Workplace Defamation Award Overturned

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Too many victims of bullying and harassment have seen their reputations torn to shreds as they struggle to heal and find new employment.  In 2010 Dr. Katherine Murphy lost sexual harassment and retaliation claims against the Aventura City charter school she helped found and Aventura City Manager Eric Soroka.  Later an Appeals Court upheld the verdict stating she was unable to prove a hostile work environment and, based on the testimony of co-workers, Soroka did not “single out females as targets for the profanity”:

Murphy testified that she asked Soroka to stop bullying her and that she complained to a former supervisor, Soroka’s assistant, and a city commissioner that Soroka had used “vulgar, inappropriate language,” and engaged in “bullying, yelling, [and] screaming.” Murphy failed to report Soroka’s conduct, formally or informally, to her employer, and Murphy acknowledged that she did not complain to Soroka’s assistant or the city commissioner that Soroka’s conduct was sexually hostile or sexually harassing. The district court correctly entered summary judgment against Murphy’s complaint of retaliation.

Fast forward two years to November 2012.  Murphy wins a whopping $155 million for defamation, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Miami Herald reports that: Continue reading →

Postal Service “Talks” About Workplace Bullying

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Below is the part of the Postal Service‘s “Stand up talks: respect in the workplace” campaign they provide for their employees that specifically addresses workplace bullying. Although gossiping is often considered bullying behavior, it is addressed as a separate topic. It will be interesting to see what type of impact this awareness raising effort has: Continue reading →

Managing your boss

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reprinted from the American Psychological Association Help Center

Q.How do you manage the prototypical “difficult boss?”

A. Successfully managing a difficult boss is a challenge but often feasible. First, you should try to understand the reasons for your boss’ difficult behavior. Assuming your boss generally behaves in a fairly reasonable manner, and that his/her difficult behavior seems to be a result of stress overload rather than his/her character, chances are good that the behavior can be modified. If your boss’ behavior seems to reflect a chronically hostile, abusive style of interacting regardless of the amount of stress in the worksite, the chances are less positive that the behavior can change. In fact, you may want to consider seeking counsel from a trusted mentor or human resources professional to evaluate your options. Continue reading →