t'

Workplace Bullying and Disruptive

Behavior: What Everyone Needs to
Know-Part 1
Bullying behavior creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target, and
undermines an individual's right to dignity at ,'Vode
What is wOl-lqJlace bullying, and who is affected?
Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group)
directed tov,Tard an elnployee (or a group of elnployees), \vhich are intended to
intilnidate, degrade, humiliate, or undernline, or "vhich create a risk to the health or
safety of, the employee(s).
\'\7 orkplace bullying often involves an abuse or misuse of pOV\Ter. Bullying behavior
creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target, and undermines an
individual's right to dignity at \.vork.
Bullying is different frOln aggression. Whereas aggression may involve a single act,
bullying involves repeated attacks against the target, creating an ongoing pattern of
behavior. Tough or delnanding bosses are not necessarily bullies, as long as they are
respectful and fair, and their primary nlotivation is to obtain the best perfonnance by
setting high yet reasonable expectations for \,\forking' safely.
Some bullying situations involve employees bullying their peers, rather than a
supervisor bullying an employee. The tenn mobbing refers to a group of co\,\rorkers
targeting another "vorker. Supervisors should intervene immediately to address and stop
Inobbing behaviors.
Examples of Bullying
Unv\Tarranted or invalid criticism
Blanle ,-vithout factual justification
Being treated differently than the rest of your 'Aloric group
Being s,vorn at
Exclusion or social isolation
Being shouted at or being hUlniliated
Excessive nl0nitoring or micromanagi,ng
Being given ,,,Tarle ,vith unrealistic deadlines
What is corporate o,r illstitutiollal bullyil'lg?
Corporate or institutional bullying can Inanifest itself in different V\rays:
Placing unreasonable expectations on employees, ,,,,here failure to meet those
expectations Ineans lnaldng life unpleasant for (or dislnissing) anyone \,vho
objects
Dismissing elnplo)1ees suffering froin stress as '''Teak 'while cOlnpletely ighoring or
denying potential vyork related causes of the stress
o Encouraging elnployees to fabricate cOlnplaints about colleagues ,,,rith prolnises
of promotion or threats of discipline
Signs of corporate and institutional bullying include
Failure to Ineet organizational goals
o Increased frequencies of grievances, resignations, and requests for transfers
Increased absence due to siclmess
Increased disciplinary actions
If you are a,,,rare of bullying in the ,vorkplace and do not take action, then you are
accepting a share of the responsibility for any future abuses. This Ineans that vdtnesses
of bullying beha"vior should be encouraged to report any such incidences. Individuals are
less likely to engage in antisocial behavior ,,,,hen it is understood that the organization
does not tolerate such behavior, and that the perpetrator is likely to be punished.
Factors Tllat Increase tIle Risk for Bullying Bellavior
Significant organizational changes, such as major internal restructuring or
technological change
&I Worker characteristics, such as age, gender, parental status} or apprentice or
trainee status
\t\T orkplace relationships, such as inadequate information flo,,\"T between
organizational levels and lack of elnployee participation in decisions
Work SysteIllS, such as lack of policies about behavior, high rate and intensity of
,,,,ark, staff shortages, interpersonal conflict, organizational constraints, role
alubiguity, and role conflict
Washington State Departlnellt of Labor & Industries. (April 2011), Workplace bullying
and disruptive behavior: What everyone needs to know', (Report # 87-2-2011),
Retrieved Novelnber 19, 2012, frOln http://,,,,,vvv.lni.'\,va.gov
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Workplace Bullying and Disruptive
Behavior: What Everyone Needs to
IU1.0W-Part 2
Bullying behavior creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target, and
undernlines an individual's right to dignity at ,""ork.
How Bullying Affects People
Victims of bullying experience significant physical and mental health problems, such as:
High stress
Posttraulnatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Financial problems due to absence
Reduced self-esteem
Musculoskeletal problems
Phobias
Sleep and digestive disturbances
Increased depression and self-blame
Family tension and stress
Bullies do not run good organizations. Staff turnover and sick leave ,,,rill be high, "vhile
Inora1e and productivity ,,,rill be lo'\v. Stress, depression, and physical health problems
result in tiIne 3\,\ray froln v{ork that is costly in tenns of ,,,rorkers' C0111pensation and lost
productivity.
The health problems experienced by victhns of bUllying result in a sense of helplessness
and negative e1notional states. LO,,\'\T self-esteem and a negative organizational clhnate
suppress creativity and hamper elnployees' abilities to respond to difficult situations or
challenging goals.
The breakdo''\1Jl of trust in a bullying environment l11ay 1nean that elnployees will fail to
contribute their best "'Tork, do not give extra ideas for improvelnent} do not provide
feedback on failures, and may be less honest about perfonnance.
Bullying is different from harassment.
HaraSSlnentis one type of illegal discrilnination. It is defined as offensive and
un\velcome conduct, serious enough to adversely affect the tenns and conditions of a
person's employnlent, \vhich occurs because of the person's protectd class and can be-
imputed to the elnployer. Protected classes in employment are race or color; religion;
national origin; sex; Inarital status; disability; IIIV, AIDS, or Hepatitis C status; sexual
orientation or gender identity; and honorably discharged veteran and lnilitary status.
An exalnple of harassment could be ,\1hen an employee tells racist jokes and refers to a
particular Co,,,rol'ker or group of co,vorkers by using racial slurs, and after a complaint,
the employer dO,es nothing to stop the beha.vior. Another example of harassment could
be a Inale lnanager ,vho luakes un,velcolne sexual suggestions to a female eluployee and
touches her inappropriately.
Bullying also differs from retaliation, ,vhich occurs 'when a person makes a cOlnplaint of
illegal discrilnination and is then the subject of an adverse eluploYlnent action or
subjected to harassment because he or she made the cOlnplaint.
Bullying is often directed at someone a bully feels threatened by. The target often
doesn1t even realize \.\1he11 he or she is being bullied, because the behavior is covert, such
as trivial criticisins and isolating actions that occur behind closed doors. While
harassment is illegal, bullying in the \i\lorkplace is not.
What can be do-ne about bullying?
Bullying in general is not illegal in the U.S. unless it involves harassment based on race
or color, religion, national origin, sex, age (40 or older), disability,or HIV, AIDS, or
Hepatitis C status. Ho,,,rever, there are things you can do about bullying.
Employees, regain control by
o Recognizing that you are being bullied
o Realizing that you are not the source of the problelll
Recognizing that buliying is about control, and therefore has nothing to do with
your perfol'lnance
Take action by
Keeping a diary detailing the nature of the bullying with infonnation such as
dates, tilnes, places, '''That vvas said or done, and "vho ,vas present
Obtaining copies of harassing or bullying paper trails. Hold onto copies of
docUlnents that contradict the bully's accusations against you, such as tiIne
sheets, audit reports, etc. '
Expect the bully to deny and perhaps Inisconstrue your accusations, and have a
,vitness vvith you during any llleetings ,rVl.th the bully
III Report the behavior to an appropriate person
Employers
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Create a zero tolerance antibullyil1g policy. This policy should be part of the ,,,rider
commitlnent to a safe and healthful '-\forking environment, and should have the
full support of top luanagement.
v\Then bullying beha\rior is 'witnessed or reported, address it ilulnediately.
If bullying is entrenched in the organization, take cOlnplaints seriously and
investigate them promptly. Reassignment of the bully may be necessaly.
Structure the ,,,Torle environlnent to incorporate a sense of autonomy, individual
challenge or mastery, and clarity of tasle expectations for employees. Include
elnployees in decision making processes.
Hold a\'Vareness campaigns for everyone on \,vhat bullying is. Encourage
reporting.
Ensure that Inanagers have an active relationship "vith the staff they supervise,
rather than being far relnoved from them.
Encourage open door policies.
Investigate the extent and nature of the problelu. Conduct elnployee attitude
surveys.
Ilnprove Inanagemenfs ability and sensitivity to\,vard dealing ,,,rith and
responding to conflicts.
Establish an independent contact for employees, such as a Human Resources
contact.
Washington State Departlnent of Labor & Industries. (April 2011). vVorkplace bullying
and disruptive behavior: What everyone needs to know. (Report # 87-2-2011).
Retrieved Novelnber 19, 2012, frOlll http://,V\.llvv.lni.v\ra.gov
Difficult Employees
You kno'l'" thein. You y\Torle \vith theIn. And inside, you get frustrated "rith theln. They
are ... the difficult people. The hardest part of dealing vvith a difficult elnployee is
controlling your ovn.l behavior.
Basics
You kno,,,r theln. You ,\Tork \"rith theln. And inside, you get frustrated ,,,rith theln. They
are ... the difficult people.
Most of us, at one time or another, have dealt 'with cO,\\Torkers '''Those behavior annoys us.
They are bullies, fence-sitters, kno'w-it-alls, "no" people (and lIyes" people), ,.yhiners,
busybodies, bro,vn-nosers, energy-sappers, thne-suckers, complainers and other
Inembers of this difficult tribe. EvelY Inanager has a pet peeve about difficult people, but
not every Inanager can cope ,,,rith theln gracefully, and in a 'I,vay that lnatches the needs
and goals of the organization.
The hardest part of dealing ,,,rith a difficult employee is controlling your O'''TJl behavior.
Three of the most common reactions to a frustrating employee are:
Reducing hiln to nothing by saying things like, "He's useless
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o Telling others about you,r frustrations and enlisting them on your side
Inventing motivations for the enlployee that make her look bad by saying things
like, nShe "vonlt do her job because she's lazy"
Though you lnay feel frustrated, ifs best to respond to a difficult elnployee in a cahn and
collected vv-ay. Why? Because it sho\",s that you are:
o Professional under pressure
Interested in solving the probleln, not attacking the person
Evenhanded in dealing ,,,rith all employees - even the difficult ones
By responding calmly, you leave the door open to talking franldy vvith the difficult
elnployee and solving the problem.
There are many strategies for dealing 'with different types of difficult employees, but in
most cases, discussing the probleln is a good starting point. Many managers have found
that the follo\,ving phrases can spark such a conversation, according to Inanagelnent
consultant Art Bell:
"Letls not play the blame game. Telllne ho'w you see the problem. It (This is useful
vvith 6lnployees \"rho blame others.)
"I ,,,rant to kno'\vyour feelings about the situation and o w ~ you think '-\1e can get
bC!-ck on track. If (This is useful 'with elnployees \,vho are quietly frustrated.)
urln not asking for an apology. I ,,,rant to understand where you\e cOIning fronl."
(This is useful 'with employees ,,,rho explain by apologizing.)
"In your vie",T, v{hat can I do to help resolve the probleln? What can you do?"
(This is useful ,,,rith employees \vho think that situations are hopeless or
unmanageable. )
I{eyTips
I{eyTip 1
Timeouts can help. When tempers flare, adrenaline fio,,,rs. Adrenaline increases heart
and breathing rates) and launches our fight-or-flight response - o r ~ in this case, the
aggressive response. It takes severallninutes for adrenaline. levels to recede, so telling
someone to go cool dO'wn for 20 minutes or so Inakes sense.
ICeyTip 2
You can't change difficult employees. Their beha'vior ~ 'whether it's ,,,rhining or sniping or
taking up too much of your time - is deeply rooted outside the office, and may have been
going on for years. Instead, focus on ho'w their behavior is hurting their job
performance.
Key Tip 3
Firing isn't the ansv,rer - neither is encouraging a difficult elnployee to quit. Both are
tempting responses to frustrating behavior, but both can be expensive options. Look for
,,,rays to use the annoying behavior productively. For exalnple, if there's a perpetual
pessilnist on your staff, run new ideas by her to get a sense of objections that might be
raised by others.
ICeyTip 4
I(eep the big picture in nlind. ''''hen you're dealing ,,,rith a difficult employee, your job is
to solve a problem and advance the organization's goals - not to change the employee,
lay blame or rnake the elnployee feel badly.
Specifics
It's best to deal ,vith frustrating people in the calmest, most collected "vay possible. But
because difficult employees' personalities valY so much, you have to choose the
appropriate strategy for each type. Here are a fe,,\' of the personalities, and suggestions
011 hov,r to keep theln froin dislupting your organization:
Profile: Often a perfectionist, this person is a professional at raining on evelyone
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parade. '''Tith her pessimislu and hopelessness, she makes everyone around her feel
negative.
Slogan: "That ,.yill never 'vork. II
Strategy: Have cOlnpassion for her fear. Use her as a sounding board for ne'\v ideas, and
consider \vhether her objections have Inerit; her reactions lllay be indicators of-what
o'ther people might say later.
The Time Thief
Profile: Takes much lnore time than he should talking vdth you. Digressions, long
explanations and ''\Tardiness are frequent ''\Tants to keep you listening and talking.
Slogan: "Just one more thing ... "
Strategy: This person might not really need your attention; but he feels as though he
does. l\1ake it clear at the beginning of the conversation that you're happy to talk, but
that your thne is lilnited. Ask for the short version of the story.
TIle Sarcastic SOlllld ... biter
Profile: Makes sarcastic asides in public forUlns \,vhile others are talking. A heckler, a
verbal bully.
Slogan: "Hey Frank, did that tie come 'Nith a free bowl of soup 7
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Strategy: If he interrupts your presentation, yot{. can ignore him or challenge hilU by
asking a I1searchlight" question that luakes hhn defend the relevance of his COm111ents. If
he says something nasty about your tie ,,\rhile you Ire in the Iniddle of a presentation, for
exalnple, you can say, "''\That does nly tie have to do "vith this quarter's sales, Jiln?" It's a
bold maneuver, but ,.yith this comlnent you address the behavior and align yourself \'\rith
the organizationts goals.
Caution: Don't fight hiIn ,,,rith sarcasm, or you'll risk being lumped into the sanle
category - difficult.
TIle Gossip
Profile: Suffers from grapevine-itis. Big ears. Bigger lllouth. Makes friends and allies by
talking behind co,vorkers' backs.
Slogan: "Want to hear something juicy?"
Strategy: Take the gossip aside and lnake hiln that you Imovl about his bad habit.
Then explain ho," his lwhispering is danlaging the organization.
The Angry Tiger
When frustrated, the angry tiger lashes out at those around her. Raises her voice
frequently, and uses aggressive body language.
Strategy: ,,\Then she confronts you, take control of the situation. Try to get her attention
(repeatil).g her name might help), and slo\.y her dO''''ll. Let her kno'w' that you hear her
frustration by using elnpathetic statelnents such as, "That sounds frustrating!1 or "I
knnvv that you're '''10rldng hard on this. 11 When she begins to calm do-wn, ask her to take
a break for a fevv minutes, and arrange a time to come back and talk about the probleln.
Then, at a later, calmer time, talk to her about hovv her presentation of the problems is
hurting her performance. Counseling lnay help solve this problenl, but don't suggest this
on your-OV,1!1. Get advice froln your human resources director.
Caution: Focus on ho\ anger is hurting the employee's performance. Don't make
generalizations about any employee IS character or alleged Inental problelns. Your
hUlnan resources department can offer the employee an anger managelnent course or
other services. But no one can force the elnployee to get help.
FAQs
After I tmish dealing ,,,,7jth frustrating employees, 1'111 the one ,,,,rho's
frustrated. Ho,"" can I keep them from stressing me out so much?
That's a tough question. Here are strategies that have proved effective for lnany
managers:
Do:
Breathe sI0,v1y through your nose
Have phrases up your sleeve for dealing each difficult personality
Listen to ,,,Th,at the elnployee is saying; there may be a ,vork-related basis for the
grIevance
Ask the elnployee to generate a solution to the problem (but be ready ,vith one of
your ovvn)
IVIake the enlployee feel that she's been heard
o Lay do\vn the lavv \vhen necessary, and be clear about 'vlhat is unacceptable
behavior
Keep the big picture - the organization's success - illlnind
Take the behavior personally
Accept all of the responsibility for a solution
Bad-nlouth the eillployee
Think of the employee in negative terms
Invent Inotivations for the behavior
Employees have been coming to me \vi.th complaints about Saln, \vho's
infrunous for bialning other people for problems \vith his projects. Many of
his cO\'\1orkers feel unfairly criticized and they are. ,\Vhat do I do?
Although you have an opinion, don't take sides. Listen to the employees, but don't Inake
any explanations for Sam's behavior. It's okay to say something like, "I don't know \vhy
he's doing that." Then take Saln aside privately. Let him lulO,V that his behavior is a
problem, and ask him \'\1hy he feels that he's not getting enough support (or \-vhatever his
conlplaints center on). Get hhn to explain the problem, rather than lay blaIne.
Resource
Book
Brinkman, Rick and Rick Kirschner, Dealing with People You Can't Stand: How to
Bring out the Best in People at Their Worst. l\1cGravv-Hill} 1994.
'Vorkplace Options. (Revie\ved 2012). Difficult employees. Raleigh, NC: Author.
Keeping Conflicts Constructive
All too often, disagreements alnong group Inembers aren't resolved in a healthy manner.
People Inay leave lneetings feeling hurt, misunderstood, or alienated. Conflicts linger,
creating tension, and disrupting ,,,,orIe.
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Disagreements are inevitable)' a professional counselor tells how to make them

If you've ever ,,,forked ,t\rith a team of people, you Imo\v that conflict is inevitable. But you
may not know that conflict can be constructive.
All too often, disagreements among group members aren't resolved in a healthy manner.
People may leave meetings feeling hurt, misunderstood, 01' alienated. Conflicts linger,
creating tension, and disrupting 'vork.
While ,ve can't stop disagreements froln happening, 'oVe can use conflicts as assets-to
strengthen relationships, Inake sounder group decisions; and motivate lnembers.
Using conflict. constructively requires that all group lllembers practice basic ground
rules of conflict Inanagement. \tVithout lnutual practice of these principles, conflict can
becolne destructive and dovvnright.ugly. Or just as dalnaging, controversial issues Inay
be sidestepped just to keep the peace. If your team has spiraled do\"r:tl tillS abyss in the
past, it may take some time and effort to correct the probleill.
But these ideas \-\1).11 \'\1ork if the group is comIlltted to thein. To Inake conflict
constructive, each member should fo11o\-\T these guidelines:
Express disagreelnent.
Be sensitive.
Criticize the idea, not the person.
Don't be defensive.
Express disagreement.
Group melnbers must first decide they're going to be honest 'with one another. This
means that ,"hen they have differing vie'ws, they'll express those disagreelnents instead
of renlaining silent. (This isn't an invitation, ho,\veve1', to say,vhatever you 'want-'welll
discuss that shortly,)
But by not speaking up ,,,,hen you disagree, you deprive the group of potentially valuable
insight that Inight redirect ho,,\r problems are solved or important decisions are made.
You could even say that by not spealdng up, you're decei'ving the group because your
silence may be seen as agreement.
Group leaders need to encourage open forums, ,vhere disagreelnent is freely expressed.
If leaders seenl insecure about contrary ideas being expressed, they can't expect much
honepty among members.
In turn, group members are likely to COlne avvay f e e l i ~ g dissatisfied because their vie,vs
aren't being heard. It also greatly reduces the effectiveness of decision Inaking vv-hen all
ideas aren't considered.
Be sensitive.
As you express disagreenlents, be a'w-are that the ,-vords you choose can affect listeners
positively or negatively,
For instance, in a class on group cOlnmunication that I ,,,'as teaching, a ,,,roman made
this bold statement: "Men don't listen '''Tell in conversation." It lnay have been an honest
expression of her opinion, but it certainly V'lasn't sensitive to the men in the group.
Instead she could have made a general statement such as, "I find it difficult '''Then
someone rin talkiligto doesn't listen '''TelL'' This captures the essence ofV\That she ,,,rants
to say, but doesn't push emotional buttons for those in the gl;OUp. And pushing
elnotional buttons ,vill inevitably derail you from the topic at hand and create
unnecessary tens.ion among group members.
Considering your vv-ords carefully is more than just being politically correct. It's
extending consideration to those around you. Your disagreements have a greater chance
of being heard '''Then you phrase theln sensitively.
Criticize the idea, not the person.
Express your disagreements in a w'ay that doesn't devalue the person ,vith whom you
disagree. For an example of hOV\T this can be done ,veIl, here's an anecdote froin a
meeting I attended recently:
A man had just finished explaining a project proposal to a committee. A cOlnlnittee
member ,-vho ,vas opposed to the proposal responded, "0ne significant fla,,,r in your
proposal is that it excludes lo\-ver incollle families from participating in the prograln, due
to cost. ,'\That can be done to include them?"
The mmnber "who raised the question may have \vanted to say something like; 1I,,\1\,7hO'8
the bonehead 'who caIne up with this idea?" Instead, he addressed the issue and didn't
attack the person. As a result, the discussion moved forward productively.
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If your goal is to use conflict to build a more cohesive group, don't allovvpersonal attacks
or nalne calling to infiltrate your relationships. That ,tVill only escalate conflicts and
cause people to choose sides.
If conflicts degenerate into personal attacks, you need to interrupt the conversations,
make your point about such behavior being counterproductive, and ask the people to
restate their disagreements by focusing on the issues. This ,ill set a precedent for
discussions. Practice this as often as needed, and group lnembers ,ill learn to express
their disagi'eements openly because they'll feel safe from verbal attacks.
Don't be defensive.
\l\Then you're on the receiving end of disagreelnents, you can feel defensive even if the
people aren't attacking you.
But often, the people disagreeing simply aren't grasping your point. So rather than
leaping to defend your positions, listen carefully to other people's relnarks. Ask theln to
summarize your main points. This gives you chances to pinpoint possible
Inisunderstandings and clarify your positions.
This is a difficult skill to Inaster. People don't like to be told they're 'wTong-including
me.
At a '''Torkshop I ,vas conducting, a participant interrupted me and accused me of being
narro'\v. 1\1y first thought ,,,ras to defend my point and move on ,,,rith lny Inateria1.
Instead, I took a break froln my presentation and asked her some questions.
""\Vhat is your main concern ,vith the idea rln presenting?" I asked. She responded ,,,rith
several objections, and the Inore she talked, the more she seemed to distort what I said.
So I asked, tlWhat did you hear 1ne say?" She paraphrased my comlnents in her o,,,rn
'''Tords-to "vhich I replied, HI think you misunderstood \vhat I ,,,Tas trying to say."
Then I restated my point concisely, asked her if this made sense and moved on. I
diffused the conflict by entering into it instead of trying to sidestep it.
By asking questions of those "vho disagree ,tVith you, 11e,,,' ideas and suggestions get
thro"vn into conversations. These may lead to creative solutions that hadnlt been
considered.
And if your idea eventually falls flat-so ""hat? By in"viting discussions, you've Inoved the
processes fonvard in positive "ways that defensive reactions could never have
accomplished.
You can Inake conflicts "vork for your tealn, but it takes a commitlnent from all group
members. Each person Inust agree to honestly state disagreements, in a sensitive
manner that focuses on the ideas, not the people. Approached in this WHY, conflicts can
be one of your greatest assets. .
Gilles, G. (Review'ed 2012). Keeping conflicts constructive. Raleigh, NC: Workplace
Options. .
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WHAT'S YO.U R EEF?
MANAGING CONFLICT"IN THE WORI(PLACE
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Website Articfes .
Cost of Workplace Incivility Can Be a Rude
Awakening
Bridging Generation Gaps
e Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior:
What Everyone Needs to Know-Part 1
Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior:
What Everyone Needs to Know-Part 2
() Taming Workplace Bullies
Standing Up to a Bully Boss
" Workplace Violence: Stopping It Before It Starts
. 0 Resolving Conflict Constructively and
Respectfu lIy
Keeping Conflicts Constructive
o Resolving Conflict Constructively and
Respectfully
Difficult Employees
e Managing Employee Stress
If Someone Is Pressuring You
o Anger Management: Tips and Techniques for
Getting Anger Under Control
$ Stress at Work: Tips to Reduce and Manage Job
and Workplace Stress
Assessments
o Anger Test l
Online Seminars
o 08/20/13 - Nobody Likes a Bully: Bullying in the
Workplace
G 10 Steps to Creating a Great Place to Work
e The ABC's of Working With the XYZ-s
o Bullying: Confronting Hostility in the Workplace
The Path to Inner Peace
Skill Builders
o Obeying Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
o Developing Assertiveness
o Managing Disagreement
Valuing Diversity
" Successful Negotiation
Audio
o Cubicle Tips
Listening Tips
o Deflate the Pressure
Anthem
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