Another Solution To Bullying In The Office- "Bully Central"
72Go check out seekyt today!
- Register
Revenue Sharing for writing articles, social bookmarking, and sharing content. It's fast fun and free - sign up today!
Another Solution to Office Bullying
To deal with this large scale issue in a holistic manner I suggest that large workplaces band together to address workplace bullying or mobbing nationally i.e. through a centralised and/or regional Government department. Let's call it "Bully Central" whereby people in the workforce can phone a hot line and register their complaint and the name of their bully and place of work.
There is a definite need for a centralised area to be set up to deal with this insidious and demoralising behaviour.The office set up to deal with bullying or mobbing in the workplace should be open to all members of the workforce - both in the private and public sector.
In this centralized Governmental office e.g. the Public Service Commission, the new section "Bully Central" would be formed to deal solely with this widespread, insidious and severe OH&S problem. A nationwide computer program could be installed in the designated office (similar to our driving license and records system) whereby if it was found that the subject of a complaint was a serial offender then legislated steps could be taken to address the problem.
In actual fact the serial offender through this proposed centralised method, could be found quite quickly because alarm bells would be raised when the same name was flagged repeatedly - the recidivist bully could be dealt with and maybe helped to overcome their micro management styles that so devastate the people who are unfortunate enough to have to work to them or with them.
Psychiatric counseling could be offered, financial levies and the demoting or downgrading of the offenders' position could be considered. Complete removal from the offenders'(the bullying individual) comfort zone could allow for victim recovery, their personnel file marked, and finally a staged recognition of unacceptable behavior implemented via a "three strikes you're out" process.
I think that is a reasonable scenario given that the person who is being or has been targetted needs time to recover, some tlc and of course to be supported via counselling and or monetary help or compensation. The compensation could be graded also based on whether the serial bully has managed to slip through the net to practice their evil arts on a continuing basis.
If the person has had to leave their place of work and feels unable to ever face work again because of their treatment; then they need to be assessed as being and graded as a person who been "Broken" by the bully and they would need to be given extra special treatment as would the bully!
And while I am about it, what if a similar centralised office was set up specifically for children who are being bullied in school. Maybe the schools involved could being given a Publicand easily accessible "bully rating". Parents could make their decision based on accurate information, then when choosing a school for their child, assess the school's "bully" rating and make their decision accordingly. I bet that being affected "through the pocket" would certainly ensure that bullying as a practise would be examined more thoroughly.
copyright:a.a.gallagher contact: annesbooks@gmail.com
An addendum to my article and ideas - Under the current legislation as it relates to the current Privacy Rules; obviously operating "bully central" would be most difficult for the "man in the street" to carry out but if it was instituted by government it could be protected by the current privacy rules and regulations whcih would protect any personal information gleaned. It could then operate somewhat like the "freedom of information" act whereby only those directly affected have access to the information - not every man in the street! So, for example should a school be shown to have a high "bully" rating that rating could be made obvious to the potential student but not the names of the bullies already in situ.... The targetted student might enjoy seeing his/her oppressor's name up in lights; but really that could defeat the purpose of trying to stamp out the practice of bullying by turning the situation upside down should the oppressed and the oppressor just change places!
copyright:a.a.gallagher
contact: anneshubs@gmail.com
for more information on the above subject - Bullying in the Workplace - Visit the Links Below
Comments - Please Feel Free To Comment - Would Be AppreciatedLoading...
now funnebone if you really meant that it would be good???
The vid moved me to tears - I was bulled as a child and later even as an adult in the workplace. Its a serious issue but I don't think that counselling is necessarily the answer - after all the problem is not with the victims its with the bullies - they are the ones that need to be made examples of and expelled.
Unfortunately when it translates to the workplace as its even worse - the bully is often in a posiition of power and there is a little you can do except leave - which I did! It still affected my self-confidence though - oddly in the workplaced the people bullied are usually the competent ones -the bullys are the ones with self-esteem issues but they are usually good at saying the right thing to the right person so get promoted to positions of power
None of this would be a problem if we got our balls back as a society. Watch some old 1930's movies in black and white. You see how people who disrespect one another get punched in the face? The ability to sue (and the fear of some ghetto a-hole with a gun) have removed actual respect from society in favor of fear. Too bad. Only the weak capitalize on fear. We've handed the world to them though.
Thanks Lissie - I am sorry that you suffered as you did - and you are right sometimes counselling is just not enough - but as I suggest bullies need to be hit where it hurts - through their pockets. Demotion or even the sack could calm them down. But to flush the recidivists out; a central system where people can make an anonymous complaint without fear or favor could really do the trick & based on complaint nos lodged; legal action could follow.
Then see how they like 'dem apples!
Shadesbreath I agree with you - fear seems to be the ace in the hole for everyone - from governments (fear of weapons of mass destruction, climate change, year 2000 millenium bug - I could go on) to mobbing in the workplace (loss of promotion, being excluded from your peers, even losing your job, not to mention loss of income) via the child (having your lunch stolen, being laughed at, physically hurt etc.) , at school. Fear wins again; but the funny thing is that when you let the fear rule these awful imagined things can actually occur. I think that political correctness doesn't help either - you can't say p..s off - particularly in the work situation where you have to try and remain "stiff upper lip" professional. it's all madness.
not sure how this would be implemented. Especially when the CEO of the whole company is a bully and rewards a whole bully heirarchy under him. Sometimes certain types of bullies are "popular" only because everyone is afraid not to "like" them.
Thanks for your input hot dorkage - it could only be implemented if a system is implemented whereby it overarches the whole workplace frame. This would mean by the government not by individual companies (that would be too close to home) - bit like the driver's licensing system - separate from all other offices and workplaces - so that it sits separately, an entity on its' own. That way when someone makes a complaint it is dealt with outside of the company where both the bully and the person who is being bullied work. This would enable the recording systems to kick in so that the government, the lawyers and the people involved can assess the scale of bullying , whether the bully was a recidivist, how many times the bully has been let off the hook, whether the bully needs medical/pshychological help (as does the bullied), etc. cheers.
Bullying is also known as mobbing and gangstalking and there is a book about Mobbing the the American Workplace. There is a lot of information about this on the Internet. You will be surprised to find out who is doing the bullying. Check it out.
I just looked at your other postings and I am sorry for your loss and the fact that you have been dealt with so harshly - life can be pretty hard I know but if we can educate as many people as possible on ways to deal with this vile behaviour maybe it can be slowed or stopped to a certain degree. cheers
I need someone to please tell me how to start a letter to my supervisor and to human resources, about a bully in my office, I am the Admin. Secretary, and the person who bullies me is a clerk, Plese help
Hi Nice Person - First of all you need to make sure that you are covered from anyone refuting your claim...keep a diary - have you kept a diary? - do you have any written proof of this person's actions against you? ie. your diary notes on a given date (are you aware that diaries are accepted in a court of law) witnessess, hard copies of rude emails etc., Have you any idea why they are behaving this way towards you?. Is there a history?
And while you are sorting your issues out you need to remain a professional, mature adult in both your dealings and reports to HR and your supervisor. Now I am not saying you would do otherwise but I remember I just wanted to throw mud in a similar situation but luckily I too was given this very good advice! So proven or provable facts only - no fiction.
Do you belong to a Union? if so get advice from them - if you are really worried about facing these people a designated union member would most likely accompany you when you have to talk face to face with your seniors re. your bullying staff colleague. I have written about steps to take before starting the ball rolling with senior officers and HR.at
http://hubpages.com/hub/Part-of-The-Solution-To-Wo
To start your letter I would say.....actually I just dug out the letter that i wrote and feel it is so comphrehensive (5 pages) that I will make into a hub...however if you start the opening subject para with
"Issues of Grievance by (insert your name here) against (name of bully) of (insert where you both work)"
Then in the first para write
"I am writing in respect of various unsettling incidents and actions that are both ongoing and which I have been unable to resolve satisfactorily. I have prepared a comphrehensive document of events with supporting evidence of issues I have and am still experiencing in the office of .......
I am looking to you for natural justice and also supportive measures and action to remedy this situation. I feel that while this situation is allowed to continue I am being disadvantaged.....etc etc
Obviously you would might need to make appropriate changes to these suggestions to suit your given situation... indeed if in doubt and worried then run your letter by your union member or indeed your solicitor....
Hope this is of some help to you ....go well...cheers
ps don't forget to insert the words "natural justice"!
check this out:
mobbingsoft.wordpress.com
will do minime..cheers
workplace bullying
 | Amazon Price: $1.83 List Price: $8.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $6.17 List Price: $10.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.66 List Price: $9.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.97 List Price: $16.99 |
A Good Ruling but Father of Ms Brodie Rae Constance Panlock asks the the law be changed so that perpetrators can be jailed - a good call Mr. Panlock....
One person's very sad outcome from being victimised and bullied by a set of wimps!
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1009471/workplace-bullying-leads-to-death
Three workmates, and the owner of Cafe Vamp in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, were convicted and fined a total of $335,000 following the death of waitress Brodie Rae Constance Panlock, 19, in September 2006.
Ms Panlock threw herself from the fourth floor of a car park in Hawthorn after enduring physical and mental bullying at the cafe where she had worked for 16 months.
She died three days later in hospital from her injuries.
Former workmates Nicholas Smallwood, 26, now of Queensland, Rhys MacAlpine, 28, of Kooyong, and Gabriel Toomey, 23, of Melbourne, all pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons.
The cafe's owner Marc Luis Da Cruz and his one-man company MAP Foundation pleaded guilty to two charges, including failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment.
All four men were convicted on the charges, with magistrate Peter Lauritsen on Monday describing their actions as "the most serious case of bullying" and saying he would have doubled the penalties if they had not pleaded guilty to the charges.
MAP Foundation was fined $110,000 each on its two charges while Da Cruz was fined $15,000 each for two similar charges.
Smallwood was fined $45,000, MacAlpine $30,000 and Toomey $10,000.
Mr Lauritsen said there was a "poisonous atmosphere" among the staff at the Hawthorn cafe with persistent bullying although Ms Panlock was singled out for a greater degree of bullying.
The three accused employees had been warned by another Vamp employee, Meghan Chester, that if they continued to bully Ms Panlock "they would have blood on their hands".
In one incident, Smallwood and MacAlpine poured fish sauce over her hair and clothes.
Ms Panlock had tried to kill herself in May 2006 by ingesting rat poison and had spent three days in hospital before returning to work where she was again taunted by the men who called her fat and ugly.
Mr Lauritsen said Da Cruz had given tacit approval to the bullying by telling his staff "to take it out the back" when abuse was being carried out within the cafe.
"Da Cruz gave tacit approval of the behaviour by not taking reasonable care to stop the persistent and vicious behaviour," Mr Lauritsen said.
Outside the court, Ms Panlock's mother Rae, who had been unaware of the bullying, described her daughter as a "beautiful girl who was full of compassion".
"She was my little ray of sunshine, a very pretty girl, and the things that they said about her ... what can you say, it just breaks your heart.
"As far as I'm concerned they drove her to the edge and they pushed her over - as far as I'm concerned they should be in jail."
Ms Panlock's father Damien said the law should be changed to include a custodial sentence.
"Change the law," he told reporters.
The acting executive director of WorkSafe Victoria, Stan Krpan, said the sentences send a clear message to the community that workplace bullying should not be tolerated.
"The offending in this case was of the most serious nature, the most serious category of offending," Mr Krpan said.
"The culpability was high, the culture at this workplace was vicious and was not acceptable."
* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).
Bad Boss - Bully Series
funnebone 3 years ago
ik feel so ashamed. I have been bullying constant walker all around hubpages!