Although there is no pre-determined definition, if you, as a member of staff feel isolated and singled out at work, you are probably being bullied.

The Member of Staffs point of view

It is sometimes difficult to know whether you are being bullied or not and it is difficult to really know whether you have a case to report. However, the following bullying tactics are some to help you identify whether you have fallen victim to workplace bullying or not: 

• Made-up rules – generally against you 

• Silent treatment 

• Accused of things you have NOT done 

• Discounting your personal opinions, work etc 

• Non-verbal intimidation – stared at etc 

• Encouraging others to turn against you as well 

• Starting rumours, which are about you and your work and generally negative 

• Constant criticising 

• Harsh treatment

• Ignoring and not commenting on good work

Being bullied can also make you feel stressed and cause you to fall ill. For example, you may experience symptoms, such as, headaches, sickness, anxiety, sleeplessness etc

Therefore, it is important to take the following steps in order to try to resolve the situation:

• Speak to the bully – sometimes the direct approach works the best. Just ask them to stop and explain their behaviour is unacceptable – you may find this works straight away. 

• Tell someone else that you trust – maybe a colleague. Ask for their help – they may have been in your situation before and can help you. 

• If you are part of a Union, then speak to them. They will be happy to give you confidential, sound advice and will want to resolve the situation quickly and quietly. 

• Report the incident to your manager/supervisor. If it is your manager bullying you, then go to their manager. If you have not been able to resolve the situation yourself, then others need to know in order for it to stop.

• Keep a note and diary of every incident including the dates, times, situation and any witnesses present. 

• Never be alone with the bully – always try to be around others so there are witnesses to anything that happens. 

• Do not fight back or get into a debate with them otherwise it could be construed as your fault. 

• If it gets really bad and none of the above has led to the bully stopping, you may need to make a formal complaint and go through the grievance procedures. At this stage you must ensure you have all the necessary evidence before proceeding. 

• Do not waste anytime. The longer you wait, the longer it goes on and the more likely others will be put in the same position.

The Employer/Companies point of view

Because bullying causes stress and stress is something that you, as an employer, should attempt to reduce and avoid, it must be addressed by the company itself. Not only will you face the risk of being taken to court, but also the company itself will suffer in lost time, lost incentive, reduced work output and lost resources/employees if it is left to escalate.

Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. If not, they may be breaching an individuals contract. Employers and bullies may face fines, compensation and possibly a jail sentence, so the issue is fairly serious.

So what can the company do to try to avoid, address and get rid of workplace bullying?

The following points describe what a company can do as best practice to avoid workplace bullying:

• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of those Health and Safety officers or whoever deals with these kinds of issues, so they know they are responsible for any bullying queries. Ensure that others know that they can be approached if need be – and that they will be sensitive and supportive.

• Develop material for educating and provide on-going training for those in charge of workplace bullying so they are well–equipped for those who need advice. Ensure they are aware of how to identify, research and deal with any complaints in the most effective way.

• Ensure external advisory third parties are clearly defined so they can be contacted by individuals and managers to clarify any issues they may have.

• Improve the knowledge of everyone in the company about bullying. The more people that are aware of it, the less likely people will be able to get away with behaving in this manner. Make sure that it is clearly defined and all employees are clear as to what is bullying and what is not.

• Educate the workplace about the health concerns, financial problems and social consequences that bullying can cause and use relevant stats and research to back up the argument.

• Develop tools and procedures to deal with the problem in work. Possibly provide a helpline for individuals to call and get advice.

• Create an anti-bullying culture, where bullying is deemed unacceptable behaviour. If this becomes common practice, the issue will never have to be taken to managers or advisors. However, this ethos needs to come from top management and be spread throughout the organisation so a clear and concise set of policies should be written and distributed. 
• Finally, bullying is less likely to occur when there is a respect and tolerance coming from the top, so it is important to have the right people running the company.