Workplace bullying is a pattern of behavior that harms, intimidates, undermines, offends, degrades or humiliates an employee, possibly in front of other employees, clients or customers.
Bullying in general is not illegal in the U.S. unless it involves harassment based on race/color, religion, national origin, sex, age (over 40), marital status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, Veteran/military status or any other protected class.
If the harassment falls under the laws against sexual harassment or discrimination based on protected categories, you may contact the Washington State Human Rights Commission at 1-800-233-3247 and ask them if you qualify to file a formal complaint.
Regain control! Recognize that you are being bullied and that you are not the source of the problem. Bullying is about control, and therefore, it has nothing to do with your performance.
Workplace violence is violence or the threat of physical violence, which occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and is one of the leading causes of workplace deaths. It can affect and involve employees, customers and visitors.
Workers who exchange money with the public, deliver passengers, goods, or services working alone or in small groups during late night or early morning hours, working in high-crime areas, or in community settings and homes with high contact with the public.
This group includes health-care and social service workers such as visiting nurses, psychiatric evaluators, and probation officers; community workers such as gas and water utility employees, phone and cable TV installers, and letter carriers; retail workers; and taxi drivers.
Learn how to recognize, avoid, or diffuse potentially violent situations by taking personal safety training programs.
Alert supervisors to any concerns about safety or security and report all incidents
immediately in writing.
Workplace incivility is common low intensity, harmful behavior that occurs with ambiguous intent, no apparent pattern, violates norms for mutual respect, and with no physical assault.
Incivility contributes to burnout, feelings of strain and distress, work withdrawal, decreased job morale, satisfaction, and performance. Even worse, when people observe incivility or retaliate against an uncivil person with their own uncivil act, incivility can grow and become the norm at work.
The most important thing that creates a civil workplace is for management to set a strong example by modeling respectful behavior. This generates a culture of civility and respect. Employees are keenly aware of how leaders interact with others in person or by email and set the tone at all levels of the organization.
Organizations can set the expectation for civility from recruitment, hiring, reference checking, and onboarding stages of selecting new employees to join them. Civility should be modeled, emphasized, and discussed explicitly throughout an employee’s career.
Promoting civility can reduce harmful effects for employees and increase workplace effectiveness.
PublicationsYragui NL, Demsky CA, Hammer LB, Van Dyck S, and Neradilek MB (2017). Linking Workplace Aggression to Employee Well-Being and Work: The Moderating Role of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB). Journal of Business and Psychology. doi: 10.1007/s10869-016-9443-z. Research Findings 75_21_2016_Yragui_SupervisorSupport
Yragui N, Silverstein B, & Johnson W (2013). Stopping the pain: The role of nurse leaders in providing organizational resources to reduce disruptive behavior. American Nurse Today. 8(10).
Yragui NL, Mankowski ES, Perrin NA, and Glass NE (2012). Dimensions of Support among Abused Women in the Workplace. American Journal of Community Psychology. doi: 10.1007/s10464-011-9433-2.
Foley M and Rauser E (2012). Evaluating Progress in Reducing Workplace Violence: Trends in Washington State Workers' Compensation Claims Rates, 1997-2007. Work. doi: 10.3233/wor-2012-1326.
Foley M and Silverstein B (2003). The economic burden of nonfatal workplace assaults in Washington State, in: Clinics in Occupational and Environmental Medicine: Violence in the Workplace. Eds. Wilkinson C, Peek-Asa C. 3(4)691-709.
Foley M, Silverstein B and Kalat J. (1998). Violence in Washington State Health Care Workplaces, 1992-1995, in: The Epidemic of Health Care Worker Injury: An Epidemiology. Eds. Charney W, Fragala G. pp.167-178.
Nelson NA and Kaufman JD (1996). Fatal and nonfatal injuries related to violence in Washington workplaces, 1992. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199610)30:43.0.CO;2-R.