First Written on August 19, 2008 Revised and Updated Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Workplace Bullying I read an excellent dispatch by Ms. Cari Tuna in the www.online.wsj.com today on the above subject. Bullying at workplace like sexual harassment is little understood. I have not gone into the legal cases mentioned but am giving the gist on workplace bullying which has become a major problem at workplace.  What is workplace bullying ? Bullying at workplace is defined as a subtle, persistent and often non discriminatory form of harassment of co-workers leading to mental distress. It need not be always a superior bullying other people. It can be peers, subordinates and fellow workers too. Till recently, bullying was not considered illegal like sexual harassment and racial discrimination. But things have changed. Bullies can now be taken to court in USA, though specific laws are not still in place, because of the confusion surrounding it. A law or rule can be made only when the issue is clear.  The effects of bullying is mainly that it leads to large scale absenteeism first, higher people turnover leaving the organization and finally illegal activities, if left unchecked. Now what are the actions that can be construed as bullying ? Using abusive language while yelling in anger at employees for some mistakes committed. Use of four letter words is positively repulsive and unacceptable when firing people and can be considered as bullying. The use of four letter word at workplace is fairly common in USA, even in non abusive and friendly situations. This has to be re-looked at by all companies.  Displaying aggressive body posture like clenched fists or obscene signs like raised pointed middle finger. Making vulgar jokes or obscene remarks about fellow workers girl or boy friends or spouses. Harshly criticizing fellow employees. A person may be inept or inefficient at work but that does not mean his or her dignity can be violated. The right to hire and fire exists with every employer but the right to bullying by demeaning and belittling employees and causing mental distress does not exist.  Putting people under duress is also bullying.  The most common form of bullying in developing countries is to hold the salaries and other allowances of employees being sacked or terminated and asking them to sign on the dotted line discharging the company of all liabilities and wrong doings, when the fact is otherwise. This is the most despicable act one can commit and such people and organizations are not worth working for and should not exist. Since the legal process is time consuming and expensive, most people just accept it as their fate and destiny and many organizations get away with it.  The effects of bullying at workplace It leads to work related worries, stress and anxieties. It leads to physical health problems like blood pressure, hyper tension and diabetes.   It leads to psychosomatic disorders, emotional and mental problems. It leads to people leaving the organization and making the company lose millions in the long run. Such things spread fast and the reputation of the company suffers. My experience is that if the top boss is a bully, it percolates down the line and becomes the organizational culture. It leads to mistrust and distrust in people at the workplace. As a result, the workplace becomes a dreaded and hated place. People do not feel happy to come and work there. The morale becomes very low. People are prepared to lose jobs and starve rather than work at such places.  Research done by two Canadian Professors is even more startling. They found that bullying is causing more damage than sexual harassment at workplace. They found people who were bullied quit more often than sexually harassed people. The names of these two Canadian professors has not been mentioned but I must say it is landmark observation. This has answered some of my doubts. The problem is bullying is done when the boss is not around and the boss cannot be around all the time in large organizations. One more observation in the dispatch is that bullying is highly prevalent in government organizations in developed countries. I was not aware of this but know for a fact that bullying and sexual harassment is highly prevalent in government organizations in Asia and Africa.  Bullying exists and in India it is in the form of punishment transfers to remote areas and places and people have to be separated from their families because basic facilities like sanitation, schooling and healthcare do not exist in such places. With low salaries in government service, it leads to hardships for the concerned individuals. This ultimately leads to corruption. It is a very vicious circle. A honest government officer or cop invariably suffers all types of injustices, bullying and harassment of non discriminatory nature. We have one more problem of 'caste' which is basically racial and based on origin.  What is the solution ? Companies must have a specific policy on bullying at workplace. The laws are not in place in most states because nothing is defined. Sooner it is done, the better because organizations are losing in millions because of the turnover of people.  Written  by Madhavan T Gopalachary The views, opinions and interpretations are personal. Sponsorship does not mean that the sponsors endorse them. Editorial Policy © Copyright, Aug-08 . www.madgopes.com . Without prejudice. All rights reserved www.mmgindia.com is the official website of Madras Management Group, Chennai, India. www.madgopes.com and www.mmg.name are personal websites and all editorials are published under their banner to retain editorial independence. 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