Bullying
15 November 2011
Everybody has the right to feel safe in their workplace and yet many people certainly don't. Unfortunately a large number of employees who feel threatened on a regular basis are administrative staff - PAs, secretaries, receptionists, administrators in general.
Abuse may not be physical (and often isn't). It can be verbal - psychological. It may even be that the bullied person is ignored.
Often the bully is a manager which makes it difficult for the person to stand up for their rights.
I have seen, and, sadly, experienced such behaviour. It is demoralising, depressing and can impact on performance, self-esteem and health.
The very sad thing is that, if these bullies behaved in a civilised way, their employees would be much more productive for the organisation.
Bullies are aggressive; this may be because they feel insecure themselves or may be that they are just not nice people. If you act in an aggressive manner towards them the situation could become nasty and spiral out of control. It would also mean you are no better than your bully.
On the other hand, if you are too passive this irritates the bully and makes them even more aggressive. The problem is that most administrators become passive because of their fear of the bully - often their boss or someone in a more senior position.
It is essential to deal with bullies in an assertive manner. Speak to your tormentor in a calm, polite and civilised way. Explain that you feel unhappy when they speak to you in a certain way or behave towards you in a particular manner. Do not accuse them of bullying you, just tell them how they make you feel.
If possible, share your experiences with a colleague or a Human Resources member of staff. It may then be necessary to follow the organisation's grievance procedures.
Act as quickly as possible against the bully; it becomes more difficult as they drain you of confidence. Remember, a person can only make you feel inferior with your permission ......
If the bullying continues, it is important to keep a diary of events and then to contact some of the experts whose websites are listed below:
www.workplacebullying.co.uk
www.jfo.org.uk
http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/rights_bullyatwork.cfm
There are also quite a few Twitter accounts about bullying. Why not follow these :
@bulliedbyboss
@bullyinguk
@StopBullyingNow
@workplacebully
16 September 2011
If you would like to join a EuMA workshop to discuss and reflect on the issues of bullying of administrative staff, contact brendabarnett@live.co.uk.
This will be held in Manchester (UK) on Wednesday 26 October at 6pm; further details to follow.
19 August 2011
Here is a very comprehensive article on bullying http://www.bullying.com.au/workplace-bullying/index.php
9 August 2011
Here is a useful website for our US friends in need of help with bullying : http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/
21 July 2011
A couple of months ago, within various groups on LinkedIn, I started discussions on bullying of administrative staff. There was a very large response which, although it is sad there are so many cases, did enable people to raise their issues and discuss possible solutions.
If you'd like to read more visit :
In October I will be facilitating a bullying workshop for EuMA in the north-west of England; more details to follow nearer the time.
6 July 2011
Here is an article which gives some of the reasons bullying managers are still in their jobs.
12 April 2011
Here is some more useful information published by the Health and Safety Executive
16 November 2010
Beat the Bullies
This week is National Anti-Bullying Week and, although this is primarily aimed at school children, I'd like to share this article with you about bullying in the workplace. It reinforces the points I made earlier this year and reconfirms that actually your workforce is more productive if they are in a happy and encouraging environment.
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/business_advice.php?CID=5&AID=7272&PGID=1
There are also further articles in links from this article, including this one which explains the difference between bullying and harassment (http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/business_advice.php?CID=&AID=1054&PGID=&Title=Bullying+And+Harassment+In+The+Workplace).
Very interesting and though provoking.
22 February 2010
If we can believe what we read in the papers, it appears that bullying reaches all levels of management. It is appalling to learn of the alleged behaviour in 10 Downing Street.
It is possible that someone under intense pressure could act in the ways described; that does not make it acceptable.
What is also of great concern is that the founder of the National Bullying Helpline breached the confidence of the callers. No matter how high profile the office, everyone is entitled to the privacy they are promised.
Or is it all just political shenanigans?
Bullying in the workplace
Baker Thompson Associates Limited highlights the problem of bullying of administrative staff and offers some possible ways to improve the situation:
During the ten years I have been working with secretaries, PAs and administrative staff, I have sadly come across many cases of bullying in the workplace, some quite serious.
Bullying does not need to involve physical violence, in fact more often it is verbal or psychological.
I experienced psychological bullying myself many years ago; inexperience and fear meant I did not deal with it appropriately. It was demeaning, depressing, extremely stressful and had a knock-on effect on my family and friends, as well as my health and well-being. It was a long time before I regained confidence in my abilities. I felt guilty because I thought I was the one at fault; in fact, I didn't even realise until later that it was bullying. I hope that this page may help any of you in a similar position.
Bullies are aggressive; this may be because they feel insecure themselves or may be that they are just not nice people. If you act in an aggressive manner towards them the situation could become nasty and spiral out of control. It would also mean you are no better than your bully.
On the other hand, if you are too passive this irritates the bully and makes them even more aggressive. The problem is that most administrators become passive because of their fear of the bully - often their boss or someone in a more senior position.
It is essential to deal with bullies in an assertive manner. Speak to your tormentor in a calm, polite and civilised way. Explain that you feel unhappy when they speak to you in a certain way or behave towards you in a particular manner. Do not accuse them of bullying you, just tell them how they make you feel.
If possible, share your experiences with a colleague or a Human Resources member of staff. It may then be necessary to follow the organisation's grievance procedures.
If the bullying continues, it is important to keep a diary of events and then to contact some of the experts whose websites are listed below:
www.workplacebullying.co.uk
www.jfo.org.uk
http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/rights_bullyatwork.cfm
Here are three people's experiences:
"My boss ignored me and only spoke to me if it was absolutely necessary and when he did, it was in an aggressive tone. He would throw work on my desk and snap at me when I asked what was required. He complained about me to his workplace friends but in a voice loud enough for me and everyone else to hear."
"Every day I say 'good morning' to my consultant and every day he ignores me."
"My manager would speak aggressively to me all day and even shout at me. When I got home I was exhausted and regularly had rows with my husband, who had done nothing wrong but just suffered from the backlash."
The sad thing is that what these bullying managers don't realise is that they are losing out because of their behaviour. A good rapport and partnership between a manager and the assistant means both will perform more effectively.
This article appeared in both the Daily Telegraph and The Scotsman in November 2009:
SECRETARIES are bullied, undervalued and asked by their bosses to perform inappropriate tasks such as sewing trouser seams, walking dogs or helping with children's homework, according to new research.
A survey of 1,000 secretaries and PAs found that more than a third had been asked by their boss to do something that went "beyond the call of duty".
One secretary had to bathe her boss's elderly mother, another was asked to make curtains and one said she had to hold her boss's hand on a car journey.
The report concluded a new qualification was needed to improve the status of secretaries.
Researchers said the job of a secretary had changed dramatically over the years. Few did audio typing or used shorthand, while more than a third managed financial budgets or other staff, and a quarter deputised for their manager.
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