07/27/2017

How to Create a Bully-proof Workplace

Establish a policy asserting that all people will be treated with respect, dignity and civility

More than 1 in 4 Americans deal with an on-the-job bully. While there are no general civility or anti-bullying laws in place at the federal or state levels, companies that want to vanquish bullying in the workplace can adopt their own guidelines or codes of conduct. That begins by enforcing a policy statement asserting that all people, regardless of race, gender, background, belief system or position in the company, will be treated with respect, dignity and civility.

In addition, the policy should state that any type of bullying that demeans, diminishes, defames or belittles a person through rumors, lies, devious and selfish acts, unilaterally boastful comments about self and derogatory comments about others, antisocial or aggressive behavior, or any acts that create a hostile work environment will not be tolerated.

Here are some strategies for managing bullies out of your business that I and my co-author, Molly D. Shepard, recommend in our book The Bully-Proof Workplace: Essential Strategies, Tips and Scripts for Dealing with the Office Sociopath(McGraw-Hill, 2017):

Please click here to read the complete article on The Harvard Business Review.