Consensus Mediation

Workplace bullying and harassment

Although these are now commonplace themes in the media, bullying and harassment at work have only been recognised as such in the last ten to fifteen years. While there does appear to be greater levels of awareness and measures to address such behaviours, a survey published in 2007 actually shows a slight increase in incidence since previous figures from 2001. Almost 8% – one in every thirteen – of workers in Ireland report they have been bullied in the past 6 months, according to research from the Economic and Social Research Unit (Bullying in the Workplace, Survey Reports, Economic and Social Research Institute, 2007).

‘Bullying’ and ‘harassment’ tend to be very emotive words and at times used quite loosely. Clear working definitions and guidelines on the types of behaviours that might consitute bullying can be found here. However, these definitions really only come into play when it comes to someone such as an investigating panel or a court making a determination on whether a complaint of bullying or harassment can be upheld.

In terms of the ’causes’ of bullying behaviours, there are a number of reasons why people engage in such behaviours.

• Bullying and harassment behaviours are often a symptom of workplace conflict gone wrong. People are unable to manage the conflict effectively and are engaging in conflict typical behaviours. These are then felt and percieved as ‘bullying’ by the other person who naturally reciprocates with their own conflict behaviours.
• Bullying and harasssment behaviours can emerge in situations where a person has not learned more effective skills in communicating and influencing other people. This can occur especially where someone has a people management role and in their striving to implement this role, they engage in behaviours that others find undermining or inappropriate. The fact that they are in a more ‘powerful’ (being the manager) position adds to the percieved bullying dynamic that gets established. 
• Inappropriate or undermining behaviours can emerge in a working environment where there is a high degree of stress or pressure and again, people resort to these behaviours to ‘get things done’. When we are under a high level of stress and feeling overwhelmed by a long list of tasks, we lose sight of everything except getting to the end result. Communication has to be quick and snappy and sometimes this becomes extreme.
• A final category of bullying or harassment behaviours can be attributed to inherently dysfunctional characteristics that some people have or exhibit – psychopathic or sociopathic personalities.

In the final analysis, one of the findings of the ESRI survey was that regardless of cause, bullying and harassment were less likely to flourish where an organisation was committed to ensuring a positive and dignified work culture.