Bullying Exists Outside of Our Youth, It’s in Our Workplaces Too
What is workplace bullying?
When we hear the word “bullying,” many of us immediately think of schoolyards or online harassment among youth. However, it is a serious issue that also affects adults in workplaces across Ontario and beyond. Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions directed toward a worker or a group of workers that are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine. These behaviours create a risk to the health and safety of workplaces.
Workplace bullying can take on many forms. Examples include spreading malicious rumours, excluding someone socially, undermining or belittling another’s work, persistent criticism, intimidation tactics, and more and can be verbal, written, physical, or psychological. This includes bullying and harassment based on race, gender, and/or sexual orientation, among other topics.
The effects from bullying can be deeply damaging to individuals and organizations as a whole. It’s also important to highlight that workplace bullying is often referred to as workplace violence and harassment.
Preventing workplace bullying is key
The impacts of workplace bullying can be profound, ranging from reduced morale and productivity to anxiety, depression, and absenteeism. This is why prevention must be a priority for every employer and worker.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), employers must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the worker. This includes developing workplace policies and programs, providing training, setting up clear reporting procedures and ensuring that complaints are taken seriously and investigated promptly. Employers should ensure that all staff understand what constitutes bullying, know how to report it safely, and are aware of the consequences if they engage in such behaviour.
A great place to get started: PSHSA’s harassment in the workplace self-paced eLearning program provides an overview of existing statutory requirements for workplace harassment under OHSA and the extended obligations arising from legislative changes. It’s important that everyone in the workplace adopt an attitude that it is never okay to engage in harassment or sexual harassment. There are specific rights and obligations under provincial legislation with respect to harassment and sexual harassment but more so, the safety and security of workers in the workplace is essential to promoting a production, harmonious and successful organization. This eLearning module contains the information and resources that you need to ensure that you understand current legislation, organizational policies, procedures and protocols around workplace harassment and sexual harassment.
Workplace bullying is not just a personal issue; it is a health and safety concern, and addressing it is a shared responsibility. By understanding what workplace bullying looks like and taking steps to prevent it, we can ensure that our workplaces are safe and respectful for all.
