Workplace bullying
Being bullied or bullying someone else at work is not acceptable. Bullying can be direct and/or indirect, verbal and/or physical.
A one-off comment would not normally be considered to be bullying. In any workplace there are likely to be the occasional differences of opinion, conflicts and problems which are a normal part of working life. It is when the behaviour in question becomes part of an established pattern that the issue of workplace bullying arises.
A pattern might be a person repeatedly directing inappropriate behaviour at you, or it might be someone directing the same type of inappropriate behaviour at a number of other people at the workplace.
Is it bullying?
Just because a person says another is a bully does not make it so. Evidence of the nature of the behaviour and the pattern will be needed if an allegation of workplace bullying is to be dealt with satisfactorily using the laws in NSW.
It also cannot be assumed that WorkCover will intervene whenever an allegation of bullying is made. If you believe that it may be necessary to involve WorkCover, it's best to get advice from your union first.
ACTU Workplace Bullying Fact Sheet http://www.actu.asn.au/Images/Dynamic/OldSite/public/ohs/files/bullying_factsheet.pdf
Remember:
It is everyone's responsibility to make sure that bullying, discrimination and harassment don't happen. You have the right to be safe from harassment, discrimination and bullying in the workplace, and you also have a responsibility to help prevent this from taking place. You know you wouldn't enjoy being the target or victim of this type of behaviour yourself.
Examples of bullying might include:
- shouting or abusive language
- people being afraid to speak up about conditions, behaviours, or health and safety for fear of what might happen.
- unreasonable demands or impossible targets
- restrictive and petty rules
- being required to perform tasks without adequate training
- being forced to stay back to finish work or additional tasks
- compulsory overtime, unfair rostering or allocation of work
- constant, intrusive surveillance or monitoring
- no say in how your job is done
- interference with personal belongings or sabotage of work
- open or implied threat of the sack, or demotion.
- belittling opinions or constant criticism
- inappropriate comments about your appearance, personal life or lifestyle
- deliberately withholding work-related information or resources
- being required to perform trivial, meaningless tasks
- unreasonable administrative sanctions, such as delaying leaveapplications
- displaying written or pictorial material which degrades or offends you
- isolating workers from other workers.
How can bullying affect you?
Bullying can cause stress, anxiety, difficulty with sleeping, headaches, high blood pressure, panic attacks, impaired judgement, lack of confidence, poor morale. Left unchecked, it can lead to very serious health concerns. It can also have an adverse impact on family and friends. That is why bullying is known as an occupational health risk.
What can you do?
Workplace bullying is sometimes difficult to define and to prove. So, you need to:
1. Record
It is often useful to record events in a diary. You should note incidents in as much detail as possible and note the names of any witnesses who are prepared to support what you say.
2. Speaking to the person you say is the bully.
Sometimes the problem can be resolved by either you or a colleague speaking to the alleged bully directly, stating that you and/or others object to bullying behaviour, and that it should stop.
3. Tell the employer
Where talking to the bully does not work or is not practical or possible, you should tell your employer. If the employer is the bully, you should seek help from your union and/or OHS Committee members or OHS Representative at work.
4. If that doesn't help
Then you could consider making a complaint to WorkCover NSW. They can be contacted on 13 10 50.
Under the laws to do with Occupational Health and Safety, the employer is required to identify, assess and control workplace hazards, including workplace bullying. This risk assessment should be done in consultation with employees and in a structured way.