Why Having A Zero-Tolerance To Bullying is Good For Business

Bullying and harassment is a subject that’s very close to my heart. I’ve witnessed it on several occasions, and it doesn’t just impact the individual that’s being bullied. It has an impact on everyone they come into contact with, and it almost inevitably has a negative impact on the business that they work for. This isn’t my area of expertise, however, so I’ve collaborated with Kirsty Muir of Kirsty Muir HR Consultancy for this post. She’s helped me put together some great information and advice that I hope you can use to promote a zero-tolerance culture in your business. If you want further information, or would like some help in setting up and implementing a bullying and harassment policy or process, Kirsty’s contact details are at the end of this post.

What is bullying and harassment?

One of the most important things for anyone to understand about bullying and harassment is that it’s a very personal experience. What might not bother one person can have a severe impact on someone else. And if certain behaviour impacts someone negatively, then it’s that person’s perspective that counts. They have every right to feel how they feel, and it’s up to the other person to change their behaviour. It’s not up to the person who feels bad to change the way that they feel.

Bullying behaviour comes in lots of different shapes and sizes. Some examples are making snide comments about a person’s work or personal appearance; or belittling or making fun of them in front of other members of staff; or alienating them and leaving them out of activities that everyone else is invited to. If the bully is a supervisor or manager, then some examples of bullying behaviour might be criticising them or holding negative performance reviews in public; or discussing personal subjects in front of other members of staff; or blocking them from opportunities; or not giving them all the information they need in order to either do their job, or fully participate in work activities.

The impact on the person being bullied

The impact on the individual who’s being bullied can escalate pretty quickly. They might start off with a bit of a knock to their confidence, but that could quite quickly lead to a decline in their mental health, a dip in their work performance, and a lack of commitment to your organisation. It is almost certain to impact their personal relationships, and relationships with people at work. It can also start to impact the people who are witnessing the behaviour, and could cause a dip in their performance and their commitment to your organisation.

The impact on your organisation

The impact on your organisation lies first of all in having employees who are not doing as good a job as they could be. That’s true of the person being bullied, the people who are observing the bullying and feeling negatively affected, and the person or people who are doing the bullying. If someone is using their energy bullying someone else, that’s energy that’s not being used in the performance of their job. It’s also common for people to get pulled into the bullying from a sense of loyalty, or a sense of wanting to be in on the drama, or even just wanting to be seen to be on ‘the right side’.

Other negative impacts of bullying on your organisation are targets not being met; customer service levels dropping; an increase in sickness absence, especially due to stress; and a drop in morale. You could also see an increase in staff attrition, as people who are impacted by the change in culture, leave. You could also see an escalation of bullying behaviour if it goes unchecked, as your employees start seeing bullying as acceptable behaviour. Your reputation could also take a hit: people talk, and you could quickly gain a reputation as a workplace to avoid.

How to tell if someone is being bullied

There are several signs to be aware of that could tell you that someone is being bullied. Look out for changes in behaviour: are they more withdrawn than usual, or have they started having unexplained outbursts. Have they stopped mixing with the rest of the workforce, or are they less forthcoming in meetings? Also look for their work performance dipping, and increased sickness absence, especially with stress as the reason.

How To Implement A Zero-Tolerance Bullying and Harassment Policy

1. First of all it’s important to be aware of what bullying and harassment is, and make sure everyone in your business also knows what bullying behaviour looks like, and how to spot the signs.
2. Have an open door policy for anyone that feels they’re being bullied or harassed, and ensure that they’re listened to and taken seriously.
3. Have a professional and appropriate process for dealing with bullying, that’s openly enforced.
4. Include training on bullying within your induction programme, and have regular follow-up information and training sessions.
5. If it’s possible, have someone who’s responsible for implementing the bullying process, so that it’s taken out of the line.

If you want to ensure that you have a zero-tolerance culture when it comes to bullying and harassment, or need help in setting up a zero-tolerance bullying and harassment system or training, then I can recommend you getting in touch with Kirsty Muir. She has almost twenty years of HR experience, and she specialises in helping businesses that don’t have a full HR function. She tailors her services to what you need at any particular time, and she can help you with any aspect of preventing and dealing with bullying and harassment. You can call her on 07808 165567, or drop her an email at [email protected]. You can visit her website by clicking here.