Advice and support
Top tips for beating the bullies
Respect yourself
As soon as you encounter behaviour which is not acceptable to you,
put an immediate end to it. If you allow anyone to make
inappropriate comments on more than one occasion you set a
dangerous precedent and it becomes more difficult to
stop.
Confront the bully
The office bully
thrives off the fact that you are too scared to confront them.
Perhaps a small word in a public place may actually put an end to
your workplace nightmare?
Keep a diary
As soon as you are on the
receiving end of intimidating behaviour, make a diary to record all
of the details - they could become evidence in the long run. You
can also keep e-mails and letters, and note who else is present -
they could act as a witness.
Don't miss out -
Just because one person
in the office is being unpleasant make sure it does not jeopardise
your relationship with other colleagues by refusing to go out for
lunch or after work drinks. Failing to do so will isolate
you.
Speak to your manager or a senior
colleague
It is rare for a bully to pick on just one
person in the office. Arrange a meeting with your Manager/ or
another senior colleague if your manager is the problem, to see if
the bully has a track record within the company - they may already
be on their way out.
Get support
Being a member of a trade
union is very important throughout this process. They can provide
the support and expertise in this kind of situation. As well as
having them onside to deal with the technical legal process their
holistic approach can point you in the right direction of getting
all the support you need for what is often an emotionally draining
process.
Don't let the bully drag down
Make sure
that you have things to look forward to outside work, like evening
classes, going to the gym, seeing your friends etc, as your
confidence will receive a much needed boost.
Advice and support
If you are being bullied at work you should not suffer in
silence but should seek immediate advice from your union
representative. Bullying is a severe offence that must be taken
seriously by employers. People's complaints must be dealt with
swiftly and sensitively. Confronting a bully on you own is not easy
and is only effective in the early stages. The longer the bullying
goes on, the harder it becomes to confront the bully yourself.
- Actions that you can take yourself and that will help the union
take up your case include:
Log all incidents of bullying - dates, times, nature of incident,
details of slurs, accusations, criticisms, etc - making sure you
stick to the facts. Keep these facts in a safe place at home, not
at work.
- Incidents that result in sickness absence should also be logged
in the workplace accident book.
- Write down your feelings at the time and your response.
- Recognise that you may need considerable emotional support and
in some cases medical support. This should be sought as early as
possible.
- If you cannot confront the bully, try writing a memo/email to
make it clear why you object to their behaviour. Keep copies of the
memo/email and any replies.
- Keep copies of all annual appraisals and letters/memos/emails
relating to your ability to do the job.
- Try to get witnesses to bullying incidents - try to avoid
situations where you are alone with the bully.
- Find out if you are the only person being bullied or whether
other people are also affected and try to make a collective
complaint.
- Talk to colleagues and see if they will support you.
- Make sure that you know exactly what your job description is so
that you can check whether the responsibilities you are given,
match it.
- Find out if your employer has a policy on harassment or
unacceptable behaviour, which may cover bullying.
- Make sure you have an independent witness with you at all
meetings, official or unofficial, with management
representatives.
- Stand firm and don't let yourself be a victim.
If you want some help and advice about dealing with bullying,
you can do the following:
Contact your union rep for confidential advice if you are a
union member
You may also find these links helpful:
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