Many bullying policies lack 'teeth,' ineffective
Response must be clear
A zero tolerance policy for bullying will get zero results, unless it spells out clearly what will be done in response to employee reports. Here are three questions that should be answered but are probably not in your company's policy:
1. What behaviors are unacceptable?
Shellie Simons, PhD, RN, an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at University of Massachusetts Lowell, says to get very specific on this.
Donna M. Gates, EdD, MSPH, MSN, FAAN, professor & chair at the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing, says to list verbal conflicts, intimidating behaviors, angry outbursts, screaming and yelling, blaming others, sexual harassment, acts of insubordination, threatening verbal or body language, abusive language, cursing and swearing, threats of violence, and deep cynicism or anger at management.
2. How do employees report a problem?
"Clear reporting mechanisms are needed. "These need to be formalized, and people need to know what they are," says Dianne M. Felblinger, EdD, MSN, WHNP-BC, CNS, RN, a professor and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing.
Many nurses who reported bullying in a recent survey said that they didn't know who to report the problem to.1 "Some went to their managers, but the problem is that a lot of the bullies are the immediate supervisors," says Simons, the study's lead author.
In many policies on negative workplace behavior, it is unclear exactly who employees should go to for help. "Employees need to know that they can report violence, including bullying, against them or another employee without fear of retaliation," says Gates.
3. What will be done if bullying is reported?
"Policies may say there is a zero tolerance for bullying, but they don't say what they are going to do about it," says Simons.
The fact is, though, that bullying behavior is often done in plain sight and witnessed by others. "I think that if someone did an actual investigation, they could find out what actually happened," says Simons. "But the problem, the investigations are not occurring."
This is why managers must be trained on procedures for dealing with employees who exhibit aggressive or threatening behavior and the importance of timing. "When bullying or other forms of violence are reported, the behavior should be addressed immediately by management," says Gates. "If employees report concerns and do not believe that anything is done by administration, then the reporting will stop."
Reference
1. Simons SH, Mawn B. Bullying in the workplace: A qualitative study of newly licensed registered nurses. AAOHN Journal 2010; 58(7):305-311.
A zero tolerance policy for bullying will get zero results, unless it spells out clearly what will be done in response to employee reports. Here are three questions that should be answered but are probably not in your company's policy:You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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