Category Archives: workplace bullying

Does HR Respond To Workplace Bullying Complaints?

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A recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) polled HR personnel about workplace bullying and how they respond to complaints. It’s clear that HR is aware of the problem. In fact, the vast majority of those polled believe it is the responsibility of HR to deal with it (only 1% feel there should be a special workplace bullying/workplace violence committee) and please keep in mind that about 27% of those taking part have been the targets of bullying themselves.   Here are the results of the SHRM survey —  note: respondents were allowed to choose more than one option:  Continue reading →

Our ‘Must See TV’ Bullies

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Janice Harper left a comment on my last post that stands on its own and really deserves to be read. She’s a cultural anthropologist and writes regular articles for the Huffington Post.  She’s one of the few bloggers out there who dares to raise insightful questions on the topic of workplace bullying:  Continue reading →

Ted Genoways on Leaving VQR

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Shortly after his death, Kevin Morrissey became the “poster child” for advocates of the Workplace Bullying Institute’s Healthy Workplace Bill.   So, it’s curious to see how unusually quiet they’ve been about the announcement of Ted Genoways’ resignation from VQR.   In less than a week the news of Ted’s resignation generated roughly 20 google pages of articles.  

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Documentary about VQR suicide reveals a cautionary tale

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Nearly two years after the managing editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review killed himself following complaints he made about his boss, Ted Genoways, Mr. Genoways has announced that he is stepping down as editor of the award-winning literary journal. – [Chronicle of Higher Education, April 4, 2012 Robin Wilson]

This weekend I finally finished editing the long version of my documentary about the aftermath of Kevin’s suicide.  It’s a revealing portrait of today’s workplace bullying movement, the lack of depth in media coverage about the topic, and a cautionary tale about the complexity of our office relationships.

The final film (hat tip consulting editor Pam Arnold) is exactly what I promised everyone who agreed to take part – a chance  to tell the story from their individual perspectives.   And, for the first time the POV of the alleged bully is included.  The result underscores the urgent need to embrace new approaches to this topic.   The long awaited web version has taken an exciting turn and will soon enter the web design and coding phase that will make it a truly interactive experience.  Now it’s time to turn to the interactive version.

Take the interactive experience now or you can purchase an educational DVD for a presentation 

Isn’t it time to re-link Workplace Violence and Workplace Bullying?

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…The shootings came during an apparent counseling session between ICE supervisor Kevin Kozak and a lower-ranking supervisor, Agent Esequiel “Zeke” Garcia, where a third agent was in the room as a witness. During the hearing, Mr. Garcia allegedly drew his service weapon and shot Mr. Kozak six times. The third agent drew his weapon and killed Garcia… [February 18, 2012, CS Monitor]

During the 1990’s workplace shootings were prominently splashed across headlines in the mainstream news.   In response the FBI joined together with prominent researchers and leaders in this area and adopted the four (4) types of workplace violence (WPV).  One of those, type 3, was labeled worker-on-worker and research at the time already recognized the link between performance evaluations and tragic deadly shootings. At that same time a movement was underway by advocates to carve much of Type 3, which was often referred to at the time as “workplace aggression” into it’s own niche area by advocates of “workplace bullying (WPB).”

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OUTLAW WORKPLACE BULLYING: A chance to be heard!

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How cool is this!

Beverly, You signed on February 10, 2012. Your signature has been delivered to: Department of Labor and President Obama

Finally we all have a pipeline to tell our stories and ask for respect and dignity in the workplace. Here’s what I told them:

Many of us have experienced the devastating consequences of this abuse first hand. Some, like myself, were lucky enough to move on. Far more do not. No one should ever be subjected to a hostile work environment.

Add Your Voice

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