Posted by dj on February 25, 2001, at 22:38:46
A friend of mine with an HR background is developing a workshop on bullying in the workplace. Seems there are studies of that and the links with stress, depression and lowered workplace productivity popping up here and there. I've heard and seen recent discussions of it in and on various media. In Saturdays 'Vancouver Sun' newspaper there was an article entitled: "There's a rebellion brewing against workplace bullying". Unfortunately it's not available on-line. The sub-header on the article reads: "It's estimated that bullied employees waste up to 52 per cent of their time on the job". Desite the fact that their are: "Lies, dammed lies and statistics." that's a pretty staggering estimate.
In the article they note in a more balanced fashion that: "...the saftey council estimates that bullied employees waste 10 to 52 per cent of their time at work, some of it spent defending themselves and networking for support...Health hazards include: depression in 41 percent of targets and interference with productivity in 80 per cent of targets due to anxiety, lost concentration and insomnia." Etc....
The last sentence quoted above shows the link that is being made to depression and anxiety and hence the relevance here. This issue has risen in discussions here on occassion and some folks may want to chat about their experiences and their read on it or you may want to go to the site that I'm going to cite below which provides some insights into how to deal with it and a source to tell your tales. I don't recall where I found this but some good info. there:
> OFFICE BULLIES AND DESK RAGE
>
> Two articles this week deal with the workplace killing fields.
>
> The first is on office bullies - men and women (in equal numbers) with the power to
> make your life miserable. Ultimately, their behavior is counterproductive, leaving a
> trail of heart attacks, strokes, and suicides in their wake, not to mention bottom
> lines badly in need of repair. Perversely, upper management backs these wreckers, and
> those who seek relief usually find themselves facing the full wrath of the company they
> work for - eleven percent of targets are transferred and 82 percent of the time, they
> lose their jobs. Victims suffer depression, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension,
> and heart palpitations, all which can lead to far worse conditions.
>
> Gary and Ruth Namie are trying to change that. They have written a book, "The Bully at
> Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity On the Job." They
> conduct workshops worldwide, and are seeking to put workplace bullying on the same
> legal plane in California as sexual harassment, and race, age, and gender
> discrimination. You can check out their website at:
> http://www.bullybusters.org/
>
>
> ... and the article at:
> http://www.post- >gazette.com/neigh_washington/20001126wadave1.asp
>
> The second article is about "desk rage." According to one survey, one in 10 workers
> say employees have come to blows because of work-related stress, and 42 percent say
> there's yelling and verbal abuse in their offices. The survey also found that: 12
> percent of Americans work in Dilbert-like cubicles, 30 percent have admitted to yelling
> at co-workers, 23 percent have been driven to tears, 14 percent say machinery or
> equipment has been damaged because of workplace rage, one in eight has called in sick
> because of stress at work, and one in five has quit a job because of stress.
>
> For more details, please see:
> http://www.foxnews.com/health/work/nine_18.smlSante!
dj
poster:dj
thread:4830
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010209/msgs/4830.html