Tackling workplace bullying, head on

Having this new legislation is significant because, globally, workplace bullying continues to rise. Bullying is defined as unwelcomed behaviour that is meant to cause harm to another person over a period of time, where the person feels powerless to respond. Researchers have described it as the “silent epidemic” and this highlights the severity of the issue. It also lends to the idea that workplace bullying has many forms, where identification of its occurrence may not be as straightforward as other workplace stressors.

Workplace bullying comes in many forms

Some types of bullying include harassment and violence. Physical, verbal, and sometimes even mental abuse can be easily identified. However, in many other cases, not so much. Harassment can be in the form of jokes, belittling opinions and spying. A less subtle way is harassment by changing a person’s duty or job role, which causes them to feel undervalued, useless, or stressed. Ultimately, this affects their performance at work. Given these examples, one might ask, where do we draw the line between office banter, constructive feedback, operational needs and bullying?

This is where two key factors in the definition of bullying come into play:

1. The bully’s behaviour has to be unwanted or unwarranted and
2. It occurs over a period of time – i.e. repetitive and consistent

As a result of these, the overarching impact is the adverse effects felt by the person being bullied. On a more personal note, my experience with workplace bullying left me in a state of panic, even two years after. I faced an indirect type of bullying, mostly via emails, which sought to undermine my knowledge, expertise and decision making.

Eventually, this prompted me to leave my job. To my surprise, two years later and in another position, I experienced fear and anxiety when I opened my first work-related email. My brain was still stuck in the negative feedback loop associated with the repetitive attacks from my past. Thankfully, after constantly acknowledging that my work environment was different, my thought processes were rewired and the feelings settled. But this is only one short story.

For many others, the reactions to bullying can include shock, anger, loss of confidence, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, loss of appetite, headaches, stomach aches and an increase in thoughts of suicide. Living with these feelings, without a doubt, affects the employee’s performance and has been linked to increased sickness absence and workplace accidents and injuries. When bullying at work goes by unchecked, a broader, toxic work culture emerges with hidden financial consequences. As these situations cause a decrease in the morale of workers, the effects are seen in various ways. Some examples are higher employee turnovers, poor customer service and reduced corporate image and customer confidence.

If you haven’t yet established the detrimental impact on mental health and overall employee well-being in your mind, I’ll share some more alarming statistics with you.

The financial cost

Research shows that when the prevalence rate of bullying is conservatively low at 3.5 percent, each bullying case can cost the employer the equivalent of AED45,000. This takes into account costs related to hidden and lost opportunities that arise at this prevalence level. At higher rates of bullying, the equivalent loss can be up to AED65,000 per case. On a positive note, the opposite proves worthy. Research done on the National Health Service (UK) shows that when bullying and harassment were decreased by 1 percent, there were resultant savings equated to AED 45,000,000. This is where having a well-coordinated, holistic business strategy bears fruit.

With this in mind, the solutions to overcome and prevent bullying in the workplace are many, but I will be biased and highlight the value of my speciality first. One corporate solution is Occupational Health. A qualified Occupational Health professional or team will use the most appropriate tools to assess the presence of workplace bullying in your organisation. 

Occupational health professionals can also give management more insight, based on two key points: 

1. Their knowledge of the health and well-being of employees
2. Their understanding of the business needs.

These teams can assist your company with creating a corporate well-being strategy. This involves identifying root causes, educating all staff, advising on the design of an anti-bullying policy at work, and starting a confidential reporting system to support employee welfare. Beyond this, there are more generic ways of dealing with workplace bullying or harassment. Businesses can adopt a zero-tolerance policy, engage in employee training and have clear policies and procedures to address issues when they arise.

From a more personal perspective, if a bully confronts you, do not retaliate. Instead, be firm in letting them know their behaviour is not acceptable. Consider having a witness present, for example, a supervisor or someone you trust. Keep a journal of every incident, with time, date, witnesses, outcomes, along with documented proof such as emails, letters and memos. If you report your concerns to the person identified in your workplace policy and nothing is done, continue to raise the issue with higher levels of management.

UAE taking action

The UAE has new laws in place which are full of promise, Article 14 (2) states: “It shall be prohibited to exercise sexual harassment, bullying or any verbal, physical or mental violence against the worker by his employer, manager or co-workers.” In the same article, titled ‘Forced labour prohibited; other prohibitions,’ Clause 1 prohibits the use of any form of threat or force by an employer to make an employee work against his or her will. It also states: “An employer may not use any means susceptible of obliging or forcing the worker, or threatening him with any penalty, to work for him, or forcing him to do a work or deliver a service against his will.”

The reality is, in countries where anti-bullying and anti-harassment laws exist, bullying at work still continued to rise. But with the addition of this new law in the UAE, the consequences are now greater with employers and workers liable if bullying occurs in their workplace. With these positive steps, along with research-backed solutions to counter workplace bullying, we enter into a new era of accountability, hope and a more positive workplace culture.

Dr Farah Ahmed, Managing Director and Clinical Lead and managing director and clinical lead at Noor Corporate Health.

References:

1. Einarsen, S.V., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., Cooper, C.L. (2020) Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Theory, Research and Practice.
2. Høgh, A., Clausen, T., Bickmann , L., Hansen, A.M., Conway, P.M, Baernholdt, M. (2021) Consequences of Workplace Bullying for Individuals, Organizations and Society. Retrieve from: https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_8#DOI      
3. Beswick, J., Gore, J, Palferman, D. Bullying at work: a review of the literature Retrieved from: https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2006/hsl0630.pdf
4. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2022, February 23) Bullying in the Workplace : OSH Answers. Retrieved from: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/bullying.html
5. Nagele-Piazza, L., (2018, March 28) Workplace Bullying and Harassment: What’s the Difference? SHRM-SCP. Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/state-and-local-updates/pages/workplace-bullying.aspx
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8. GOV.UK. (2016, June 22). Workplace bullying and harassment. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment
9. (2022) Preventing Workplace Harassment – HSE. Retrieved from: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/preventing-workplace-harassment.pdf
10. The Australian Human Rights Commission. (Accessed 2022, February 23) Workplace bullying: Violence, Harassment and Bullying Fact sheet. Retrieved from: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/employers/workplace-bullying-violence-harassment-and-bullying-fact-sheet
11. Teo, S., Nguyen, D., Trevelyan, F., Lamm, F., & Boocock, M. (2021). Workplace bullying, psychological hardiness, and accidents and injuries in nursing: A moderated mediation model. PloS one, 16(1), e0244426. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244426