What is workplace bullying?
Bullying involves arguments and rudeness. It may be intentional at times, but may not be at all times. There are also other forms of bullying like, avoiding and ignoring people and contribution, unacceptable criticisms and overloading people with work.
Sometimes, bullying is caused due to a person’s efficiency or inefficiency at the workplace, which makes the bully feel threatened, and that triggers behavior.
What are the effects of bullying?
Once you are a victim of bullying, your life turns miserable. You will find it hard to motivate yourself. You lose faith in yourself. In addition, you may feel ill and depressed.
What is the remedy?
Find yourself an ally. Don’t be ashamed to tell people what’s going on around you. Bullying is a serious activity. You need to inform people around you of what is going on, so that they can help you out. By sharing your experiences you may discover that it’s happening to others also.
Get advice
Speak to someone with whom you are familiar with, how to deal with the problem informally. The person may be your Manager / Supervisor or from Human Resource Department, or an employee representative, such as a trade union official. Some employers have “harassment advisers”, who are specially trained to help with bullying and harassment problems. If you feel this is affecting your health, visit your GP.
Be strong
Remain calm and be bold. You need not explain your behavior. It is the reflection of bully’s weakness, which is meant to intimidate and control you.
Talk to the bully
You need to talk politely to the bully, as this is not a deliberate act. He may not realise how his behavior is harming you. If you are unable to talk due to some reason, ask someone else to talk on this issue.
Maintain a diary
This will help you to take appropriate action, as and when required. Take an ally with you, if necessary and speak to the bully calmly.
Make a formal complaint
If you are unable to solve the problem, make a formal complaint. You need to follow your employer’s grievance procedure, for a formal complaint.
Legal action
If the problem persists even after you follow your employer’s grievance procedure and no action is taken, you can consider legal action. You can lodge a complaint under laws covering discrimination and harassment. You need to take professional advice before taking further step.
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