A bullying or harassing line manager, non-supervisory employee, client or customer will never be so important that they are worth more to your organisation than the damage they are causing.
It is legally, ethically and financially negligent for employers and line managers not to do everything they can to prevent bullying and harassment. You must - 1. Make it difficult for bullies and harassers to operate; and
2. Deal appropriately with people proven to have bullied or harassed, and if necessary, dismiss and/or stop doing business with those who can’t be stopped or who have committed very serious acts of bullying or harassment.
Do your staff understand that any behaviour that unfairly or unreasonably puts down, belittles, undermines, controls, scares, intimidates, excludes, offends or embarrasses anyone it’s directed at, or anyone who sees or hears it, is bullying and/or harassment?
Do your staff know where to ‘draw the line’ between acceptable and non-acceptable, risky and potentially unlawful behaviour? Do they understand the need to behave professionally and with respect at all times even when they don’t like someone or that person has treated them in an unfair, harassing or bullying manner?
Do they follow the 5 ‘Rules of Respectful Behaviour’? - © Anthea Lowe & Associates:
- Treat others like you’d like to be treated
- Know your audience – know who is comfortable with what
- Be particularly careful if it could be seen as sexual, personally invasive, racist, sexist, anti-gay, or stereotyping in any other way
- Be careful of repetition - know when they’ve had enough
5. If someone indicates they don’t like what you’re doing - stop doing it, say you didn’t mean to hurt or upset them, apologise for any hurt or upset you may have caused, don’t do it again in front of or to them, and don’t talk about them in a negative way.
1. Bullying and harassment prevention
