Australian bosses bullied for making changes

By Emma Thelwell, NineMSN.com.au

Disgruntled Australian workers are bullying their bosses as punishment for making changes to their work life, a new study has found.

One in four managers have fallen victim to “upward bullying”, which often goes undetected and can seriously impact a company’s bottom line.

Spreading gossip and rumours, withholding information and intentionally missing deadlines or skipping meetings are among the chief tactics utilised by unhappy workers.

The research by Dr Sara Branch, a psychologist at Griffith University, showed the phenomenon was markedly high in Australia.

Across Europe, Dr Branch found that just 11 percent of managers have experienced upward bullying – compared with 25 percent in Australia.

“Upwards bullying, like other forms of workplace bullying, is often more subtle and less obvious to other staff,” Dr Branch said.

“However, it can also include more aggressive behaviours such as yelling, verbal threats, and confrontational phone conversations.”

She said much of the bullying goes unreported, as managers feel uncomfortable admitting their fears.

“Workplaces need to understand that bullying can occur at any level in an organisation,” Dr Branch said.

“Although managers clearly have formal authority, they can also be victims of bullying and need just as much support as other staff.”

The driving factor behind the bullying is organisational change, the study of 162 bosses found.

Dr Branch said new working conditions; management or processes can trigger bullying, as people blame their managers for the change.

“Managers may lose confidence in their abilities and feel less satisfied in their jobs”, she said.

“Upwards bullying has the potential to impact the bottom line, with loss in productivity, increased absenteeism and higher staff turnover, as well as the cost of intervention programs.”

Companies should encourage managers to report incidents of bullying, Dr Branch said, in order to bring employees together to discuss issues openly.