Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is:
- Threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or
- Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done, or
- Verbal abuse
– Workplace Bullying Institute
The Workplace Bullying Institute has deemed October 15 – 21 Freedom From Bullies Week. And everyone is invited to participate.
Workplace bullying is by no means a new issue, and unfortunately, it’s not going anywhere. Workplace bullying can take place for a variety of reasons: race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ongoing disputes, etc. Regardless of the reason, bullying has significant effects on the health of victims.
Beyond the issue of health and wellbeing, bullying brings about issues of respect, dignity, and all around fair treatment. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, and the workplace should not be an exception to this. The sad thing is, bullying continues to happen in workplaces, and we aren’t doing enough about it.
So, how can we participate in this year’s Freedom From Bullies Week? It’s simple. Help break the silence. Bullying continues to take place in the workplace because people don’t want to talk about it. Victims don’t want to admit it’s happening to them, and employers would rather “bury the story” than address the seriousness of the issue.
The following video explains why this important and how you can help.
We have to do better. Employers need to be held accountable for doing more for their employees and not turning a blind eye to bullying. But the onus is not only on employers. We need to support our fellow workers and stand up for our colleagues by breaking the silence around workplace bullying. We need to be willing to speak out against unfair treatment and openly discuss this issue to remove the stigma and shine a light on what is a dark reality for many employees.
If you’re a victim of workplace bullying, don’t forget that your Teamsters 987 family is always here to support you and fight on your behalf. If you’ve witnessed bullying in your workplace, talk to someone, whether it’s a colleague, supervisor, employer, or us.
“The power of workplace bullying is its ability to stay hidden in plain view. Make every workplace safe and take a stand against workplace bullying!”
– Workplace Bullying Institute
Comments are closed.