Organizational Responses to Workplace Bullies

Attorney, mediator, and therapist Bill Eddy observes that there is little that individuals can do when bullied and concludes that workplace culture must reject bullying. Just as programs aimed at reducing playground bullying focus on the school environment, workplace bullying needs to be addressed at the organizational level. He offers some suggestions for a comprehensive approach.

• Policies Against Bullying
• Prevention of Bullying
• Staff Training
• Confidential Lines of Communication: “There needs to be independent resource people for reporting bullying to the organization and to the leadership.”
• Counseling: “It would help employees and organizations to have a resource person for bullied individuals to use to discuss bullying experiences in confidence.”
• Consequences
• Healthy Workplace Laws

(High Conflict Institute.)

Although Eddy does not mention Ombuds in particular, Ombuds routinely provide confidential lines of communication and counseling. Indeed, there are no other organizational resources better suited to respond to bullying problems.

Related posts: NYT Career Couch: If Bullied, Visit Ombuds; Workplace Bullying More Harmful than Sexual Harassment; Online Bullying an Emerging Issue for Ombuds.