ARE YOU A VICTIM OF A BULLY IN THE WORKPLACE?

Rochester, N.Y.--  As public employees, we see a lot of workplaces in dire straits, where tempers flare easily and interpersonal problems have been allowed to flourish unchecked. Helping workers innovate while saving their employer frequently involves confronting a bully or bullying regime.  As officers of CSEA, we've learned the differences between hard-charging bosses and managers who push for positive organizational results aggressively, and bullies who calculate patterns of fear to manipulate self-serving outcomes.

We have to start by defining the problem. Workplace bullying is defined commonly as individuals or groups who use aggressive or unreasonable tactics against co-workers or subordinates persistently. Bullying is not conflict, a personality clash, or being chewed out by a boss. It's not getting handed work you don't want to do. And it's important to remember that not every workplace-bullying claim is true — just because employees are upset, imbalanced, or overworked does not mean bullying is taking place.

But whether it's an entrenched dinosaur or extreme ladder-climber, anyone who manipulates selfish outcomes or seeks unfair advantage must be confronted expediently. Bullies are tremendously expensive for public employers in terms of productivity and human resource talents lost. When supervisors overlook blatant bullying, work is sabotaged, progress is blocked, and public services will deteriorate.

According to RedBaron Consulting, they coined an acronym "CAPE" to provide workplaces with a framework to distinguish more fairly between well-meaning hard chargers and sinister bullies. CAPE empowers heroic workplace leaders to eliminate bullying more effectively.

1. Confront. Addressing the problem is a key first step toward breaking the bully's hold over officemates. Research suggests the longer bullying persists, the more likely co-workers will align with them and enable bullying patterns. Impromptu meetings with a round table of diverse professionals — suspected bullies, enablers, and victims — allows those far-removed and close to the situation to gather truthful evidence quickly.

An out-of-the-blue intervention catches potential bullies off guard, initiates witnessing, and gives hard chargers a fair chance — for once.

2. Analyze. Once granular evidence is gathered, the roundtable should employ contemporary bullying frameworks and literature for thorough analysis and fair deliberation.

At this point, if the suspected bully responds positively to the roundtable's deliberation — via 180-degree change and public apology — these first two steps may prevent over-eager hard chargers from being falsely labeled workplace bullies. However, if a suspected bully responds negatively to the process, these next steps become exceptionally critical.

3. Present. Documented proof of bullying, presented in writing after steps one and two, is a giant leap towards engaging leadership with tangible evidence and roundtable witnesses. Don't rely on hearsay. Well-presented documentations have teeth. Dr. Namie of The Workplace Bullying Institute fervently argues one cannot negotiate, mediate, or engage in conflict resolution with bullies.

4. Expose. Outing bullies and their enablers courageously is the most important tool for eliminating bullying. Corporate bullies use fear of consequence as a main weapon to keeping victims and enablers silent. Once exposed, bullying regimes vaporize.

Once bullying is exposed, we recommend a full audit and evaluation of your workplace. Some bullies are reacting to their own insecurity or incompetence, but others may be using the irrational claims, false evaluations, humiliation, fear, and other instruments of a bully's trade to cover up malfeasance, embezzlement or other illegal actions.

Confronting bullies isn't easy.  Job expectations are more challenging and competitive than ever. And tough assignments can hurt. But bullying has no place in any workplace. Honorable opponents shake hands and even applaud each other at the end of the day. Leaders owe it to the people on their team to Confront, Analyze, Present, and Expose bullies fully.

If you or someone you know is a victim of bullying in the workplace, please contact your union officer or visit this CSEA webpage for safer and healthier workplaces.