How can someone avoid workplace bullying? First of all, it is advisable, before taking a job, to check to see whether the conditions at a company are conducive to bullying. Indications that they are include how long the previous employee worked there and the reason why the job is open.
According to workplacebullying.org "Turnover is the key indicator that bullying happens" at a company. The site advises asking whether a lot of unpaid overtime is expected and whether there are any policies or codes to ensure a respectful workplace.
If the interviewer says they just rely on common sense, the job hunter know that this is a place where destructive people can operate. To stamp out bullying one needs definite rules against it.
Avoid Giving Bullies Anything to Use
It is important for employees to avoid giving bullies anything to use against them, thus reticence about one's social life is in order. Time was when it was possible to go for an after work drink with co-workers and trust them with one's life story; not any more. In the current economy when everyone worries about getting downsized, the old rules don't apply.
It is crucial for an employee who is a bully's target to avoid becoming emotional when complaining about abuse. One person put up with small slights from a new manager for months before he was made to suffer severe humiliation in front of a client. At that point, he wrote a letter to his overall boss and mentioned he was upset at how he had been treated. The boss had the bully into his office and was persuaded to believe that the complainant was emotionally unstable.
Consult the Human Resource Department
When bullying occurs, consult the Human Resource department to find out what can be done about it. There should be rules in place to combat it, However, whatever they suggest, it is a smart move for the victim to try to transfer to another department.
Bullying involves all kinds of things, character assassination, public disparagement, having one's opinions and ideas ignored, being kept out of the meeting and email announcement loop, being subjected to yelling and threats by a power-mad boss or over aggressive co-worker and having one's emails and telephone calls go unanswered.
The Bully is a Production Hero
When any of this happens an employee should try to see whether something started the cycle. Chances are the trigger was very small but it is wise to make an attempt to analyze job performance anyway. Without drawing attention to the bully, the victim should try to build friendships outside the immediate work group. Friendship can cure a lot of things.
Unfortunately, a major problem appears to be that boss bullies who scare their underlings into submission, seem to get good results and management likes that. They see the bully as a production hero. Of course, they are wrong to ignore his or her behavior because bullying destroys workplace cohesiveness and causes employees to take more sick days or leave the company. In the long run, bullying costs money.
Why do Bullies do it?
Why do bullies do it? In his book Bully in Sight, Tim Fields explains that the presence of a smarter or more popular subordinate threatens a bully's self confidence. The bully treasures his or her authority and doesn't like the fact that a co-worker has superior qualities. In the bully's mind, it's time for a search and destroy mission to repair perceived damage. This explanation should help the victim feel better. Hopefully, it will.
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