Real Solutions for dealing with Bullies in the Workplace

By Hugh Pelmore, ARETE safety and protection Inc.

In dealing with co-worker conflict, the most challenging issue for workers and supervisors is having the ability to effectively speak up and deal with co-worker issues early on. This includes dealing with bullying, personal harassment, rumours, constant negativity and a myriad of other unwanted workplace behaviours.

The fact is that 3 or 4 employees in a hundred refuse to play by the rules. The majority of the workers know how to behave and know what reasonable adult behaviour at work looks like. What they lack is the assertiveness and motivation to take action to stop unwanted behaviours.

Solutions:
1) Provide staff with realistic communication skills training that motivate them to speak up when a co-worker crosses the line- It’s not about I vs You statements. It’s about getting the words out!

2) Motivate staff to support the other reasonable co-workers who may not be assertive enough to speak up for themselves

3) Train and motivate supervisors to effectively and professionally deal with unwanted behaviours

4) Support employees and managers by effectively dealing with unwanted co-worker behaviours; this might include discipline and possible termination.

Creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture requires commitment from all parties; Directors, Managers, Supervisors, Workers, Human Resources and Union. There are many excuses for inaction which include lack of clear expectations and consequences for employee conduct, fear of conflict, poor supervision and response to complaints, fear of being the “rat” or supervisors viewed as the “heavy”, not trusting intuition, too much emphasis on utopian workplace, counting on laws and policies to stop unwanted behaviours, providing impractical training that workers simply can’t relate to or use.