‘Walking on eggshells’ at work around anger management rejects is exhausting. And, way too many of us are familiar with the ‘I’m just an emotional person’ or ‘I tell it like it is’ excuses that typically follow these eruptions. According to a segment of ABC’s 20/20 “Workplace Confidential” that focused on employee meltdowns, nearly 1/3 of Americans admit verbally abusing their co-workers. Yep, it’s not always Continue reading
A growing number of states are following Vermont‘s lead and deleting the original language of the Workplace Bullying Institute’s legislation (the Healthy Workplace Bill) and instead asking for a state-based team to draft their own bill. While it’s true that HWB advocates have invested a great deal of time and passion in their singular bill, Maryland’s proposed Senate Bill 999 would bring together a dream team that includes; the Secretary of Budget and Management, different union leaders, state employees, supervisors and a practicing attorney. Passing a legislative response for abusive work environments irregardless of protected class status is something all of us have struggled hard for and this solution holds real promise for Maryland’s state workers. The bill, which shows Senator Muse as the SOLE sponsor, passed unanimously in the Senate’s third reading on April 3, 2012 so it is now in appropriations. Below is the section that describes the work study group: 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
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:
BACK OFF! is a remarkably useful and engaging survival guide that can help millions of targets, bystanders, and bullies that want to change their vile ways. I was especially impressed with the practical and powerful guidelines for battling against bullies without becoming one yourself. – Robert Sutton, Author of No Asshole Rule and Good Boss, Bad Boss Continue reading
For years advocates for the Healthy Workplace Bill have remained loyal to their legislative template and argued that options like Ontario’s Bill 168 aren’t adequate to address workplace bullying. They also prefer an approach that discourages large lawsuits. Looks like it’s time for legislators to take another look at alternative approaches — enforcement of Bill 168 may have fallen short — but large lawsuits equal change: Continue reading
OUR BULLY PULPIT 