10 Ways You Can Stop Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is a severe problem with very real personal and professional repercussions. Research conducted in 2021 by the Workplace Bullying Institute found that approximately 30% of adults have personally experienced workplace bullying. 

The same survey also indicated that virtual employment poses an even larger hazard, with 42% of working adults reporting having firsthand experience being bullied at work. 

If you believe the significant transition to a remote work environment has lessened workplace bullying, think again. 

 

Workplace bullying

So what exactly is workplace bullying? It frequently entails persistent harassment from coworkers or management, including insults, threats, or demeaning remarks. Withholding work-related information, giving imprecise directions, or making unwanted inquiries are examples of subtler types of bullying.

Organisations with strong cultures and compliance with employment-related rules and regulations are the most productive ones. However, in a workplace where harassment of any kind, including bullying, is accepted, neither of these goals can be achieved.

Here are 10 steps your organisation can take to establish a bullying-free culture.

 

1. Develop an official anti-bullying policy.

This might be a stand-alone document to go along with your anti-harassment policy or an addition to it. In any case, your anti-bullying policy should outline what is considered bullying and let your staff know that your organisation will not accept this behaviour. 

Employees should feel confident that you will wholly and swiftly examine workplace bullying claims and that appropriate measures, such as terminating the offender's employment, will be taken. 

Clear complaint procedures help managers and employees understand what is expected of them and the course of action in the event of an occurrence. 

Make sure that applicable laws are complied with in writing your policy.

 

2. Implement a policy of open doors

There are several benefits to having an open-door policy that supports a diverse workplace culture. 

It can help business executives better understand their company and team, so they can continue to address both areas for improvement, like the possibility of providing benefits that appeal to their employees and growing issues, such as workplace bullying. 

The less likely it is that toxicity will grow within the organisation without top-level officials' understanding.

 

3. Take all allegations of harassment seriously

Employees are more likely to feel comfortable reporting workplace bullying occurrences at companies that place a high priority on investigating such allegations. 

Of course, the less bullying you will have to deal with in the future, the more bullying is reported, looked into, and, preferably, removed. 

Investigating bullying benefits your company culture, morale, and success, in addition to helping your organisation stay in line with anti-harassment laws.

 

4. Hold supervisors accountable

Managers are crucial to eliminating workplace bullying as they may have the best opportunities to see this conduct and are frequently the first to respond when a victim or witness reports bullying. 

In fact, bullying prevention training is mandated in several countries. Teach managers how to recognise the symptoms of bullying and react effectively to bullying concerns. 

As they should be accountable for upholding your anti-harassment policy, hold managers responsible for maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for bullying.

 

5. Set a good example

Praise in public and correct in private is a wise general rule. You set the tone for your team's behaviour as a manager. While discipline and other forms of constructive criticism may occasionally be required, they should never be given in front of others because they may be seen as bullying or result in a toxic workplace. 

The basis for a happy workplace and a sense of camaraderie among your employees may be set by rewarding your team members for a job well done and ensuring the praise is distributed equitably with the successes.

 

6. Educate team members on how to spot and report bullying

Through this training, they will learn to spot it in themselves and others. Some people might not be aware that their actions could be viewed as bullying by others or by the law. 

Individual team members should be trained to spot and report bullying when they see it, as they frequently observe it, whether or not it is aimed at them. 

 

7. Work on your company's initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Building a company culture that consciously promotes and upholds diversity, equity, and inclusion can help create a long-lasting organisation where employees look forward to going to work, maintain compliance with laws, and reduce all forms of harassment, including workplace bullying.

 

8. Pay attention during meetings

According to the same Workplace Bullying Institute report, virtual meetings are where bullying occurs most frequently for remote workers. 

You may make meetings more equal by establishing a standard procedure for handling all meetings, whether they take place online, over the phone, or even in person. 

Allowing everyone a chance to speak, focusing solely on positive reinforcement, refraining from reprimanding or criticising others during meetings, and urging attendees to save any conflicts that arise for discussion outside of meetings are some suggestions that can help reduce the mayhem in meetings.

 

9. Embrace kindness

It's easy to get so caught up in stopping the behaviours we DO NOT want that we may forget to create the culture we DO want when creating a plan to combat workplace harassment. 

The latter is also helpful in reducing bullying and other toxic workplace concerns. In this vein, you might want to think about creating a system for rewarding workers who go above and beyond to assist their coworkers, display excellent cooperation, or demonstrate any other quality that contributes to the kind of workplace you want to foster. 

You can accomplish this through employee or manager nominations on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Anything from a handwritten note to lunch to a public acknowledgement of a job well done can serve as a reward.

 

10. Bullying does not end after the workday is over.

Last but not least, it is critical to keep in mind that polite, professional behaviour between coworkers or between employees and managers is not just restricted to behaviour between your employees and does not end at 5 p.m. 

Your company's anti-harassment policies should apply to conduct by or against those outside your organisation. It must also be in effect at all times. 

Due to this, you should exercise extreme caution while enforcing your policy at events like holiday parties, team-building activities, off-site meetings, encounters with clients and customers, and any other event organised by your organisation.