Interventions aimed at improving working relationships

  Employees are entitled to a positive environment to work in and not to be subjected to unacceptable behaviours at work. They are also entitled to expect that there are agreed policies, procedures and systems in place at work to respond to their individual concerns. The interventions outlined in this section are aimed at promoting positive working relationships, assisting the individual to avoid conflict and helping them deal with unacceptable behaviour in a rational and systematic way. This section focuses on one of the most extreme forms of unacceptable behaviour, that of bullying, but the strategies outlined are equally applicable to other forms of unacceptable behaviours in the workplace. It is a well-known fact that bullies prefer easy targets and will steer away from any battle that they believe they could just possibly lose. When confronted by a bully, it is therefore important that you try to disguise any feelings of vulnerability that you may have by exuding an air of firmness, authority and confidence. Try to remain calm and develop a rational plan of action through which you can disarm the bully rather than reacting emotionally as the bully expects. Five steps to developing an action plan for tackling bullying are suggested below.

Gather evidence

  Keep a diary of every incident that happens. Record the date and time, where it took place, what was said by whom and make a note of any witnesses present. You should also collect any old appraisals, job references and correspondence relating to your good character and/or highlighting your strengths and ability to cope. Copies of any incriminating emails from the perpetrator should also be saved. You should make sure that you are very familiar with your job description, since a good knowledge of your job description will be necessary in arguing your case. Arm yourself with as much evidence as you can. You can also check to see if your organization has an anti-bullying policy and a grievance procedure and if so familiarize yourself with it.

Find allies to support you

  Don’t allow yourself to become isolated. Make use of available supports both at home and in the workplace. If you have witnesses, ascertain their perceptions of what took place and if possible get them to support your case. Try to identify others who are going through a similar experience to you and will join you in this evidence gathering exercise. This will prevent the perpetrator from dismissing your experiences as a personality clash. You can also informally and confidentially make contact with someone from the human resources department, your union representative, or someone in the occupational health department and get their point of view about the situation. You can keep them informed of any developments and it will then be easier to involve them at a later date if necessary.

Stand up to the bully

  Assertiveness is the key to standing up to a bully. You need to communicate to them both verbally and non-verbally that you are not afraid of them. Start off by being polite and diplomatic and ask them, in a calm and relaxed manner and with a smile on your face, for a few minutes of their time to discuss the problem. Don’t approach them in a public situation since they may feel that they are losing credibility by agreeing to a meeting in front of other people. Choose a place and time when they are on their own and not too busy. Look them in the eyes and adopt an upright posture with your shoulders back and head held up straight. Make sure that what you say is clear and precise, at a normal volume and in a normal tone of voice. If necessary you may want to rehearse what you are going to say to the person in advance, for example by practising in front of the mirror, or doing a role-play exercise with someone who is supporting you. You may also want to rehearse your responses to any reactions that you anticipate the perpetrator may present you with. Do not respond to any taunts, since to do so will only give the bully encouragement from knowing that they have upset you.