KR HR & TRAINING NEWS ARCHIVE

Friday 26th February 2021 is International STAND UP to Bullying Day, so our HR Consultant Kirsteen Pearce shares her thoughts on tackling bullying behaviour in a Covid-19 setting, where remote working and social distancing have rapidly changed team dynamics and workplace communications.

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL STAND UP TO BULLYING DAY?

International STAND UP to Bullying Day is an event which takes place twice a year and takes a stance against bullying. It occurs on the third Friday of November to coincide with Anti-Bullying Week and also on the last Friday of February.

Bullying is not specifically defined in UK law and therefore employers can shy away from challenging behaviour – it seem difficult to address as it can appear to be “subjective”.  ACAS state that bullying may be characterised as “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient”

REMOTE WORKING AND COVERT ONLINE BULLYING

Changes in working practices resulting from Covid-19 present bullying and harassment challenges to employers, which they may be less familiar with monitoring.  Bullying can still happen remotely and can be harder to detect.  There is the increased potential for workers to feel isolated and for the actions of colleagues to be more easily misinterpreted.  Employees who have already experienced bullying and harassment in the office may find that working from home has even exacerbated the issue, with their colleagues less likely to observe or report what is happening.  

Businesses need to re-evaluate the potential risks this brings to staff who could be exposed to more covert online bullying.  People can be much ruder via email, text messages or on-line chat.  With pandemic stress levels rising, there has been an increase in online aggression and remote bullying between co-workers.  Employees can be shut down in virtual meetings, excluded (not invited to key meetings), be interrupted frequently, put on mute or sent aggressive texts or WhatsApp messages.  The home/work boundaries can become blurred and it can feel like there is no escape from an incredibly distressing situation. 

SOCIAL DISTANCING AND BULLYING WITHIN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT 

Social distancing rules mean that if you are in the workplace, there may be less witnesses around to see any bullying behaviours (having witnesses around is often a deterrent).  

HOW DO I STAND UP TO BULLYING?

Standing up means being an upstander, not a bystander. It means calling others out when their actions are unkind, reporting conversations online that don’t look right and creating a community that will speak out and stand up to bullying.

ACTIONS TO TAKE IF YOU WITNESS BULLYING

Sometimes people think it’s someone else’s responsibility to take action on a bully and remain passive.  Make a conscious decision to confront any acts of bullying behaviour immediately when you see them happening and take action:-

• Step up and speak out that bad behaviour won’t be tolerated. 
• Document the incident.  
• Tell someone, such as a line manager or HR
• Support the target

HOW CAN I STAND UP AGAINST SOMEONE WHO IS BULLYING ME REMOTELY?

Some work colleagues who aren’t ordinarily bullies have become stressed out and frustrated during the pandemic. 

If you are on the receiving end and feel able to challenge their behaviour, here is a real example using the “Nonviolent Communication” format for challenging behaviours that make you feel uncomfortable:

“When I SEE {myself get muted in a meeting/multiple exclamation marks in emails} I FEEL {excluded/upset}, because I NEED {to be able to share my thoughts in meetings/to feel respected in stressful times}.  Would you be willing to {not mute me/stop sending me emails with lots of exclamation marks}?

In addition, colleagues often don’t have the natural opportunities to resolve differences through casual conversation whilst homeworking. Emails or Teams chat messages can often be misinterpreted by reading them in your own tone of voice, which may not be what was intended. This can easily lead to a downwards spiralling of workplace relationships – this may not be bullying behaviour, but it can cause upset and it is worth addressing at an early stage using the above approach, or simply by picking up the phone if you feel able, to prevent things from degenerating further.

The mental health charity Mind has the following advice if you’re experiencing bullying at work: 

• Find out if your employer has a policy on bullying and what their grievance procedure is. The policy should outline whether a behaviour is acceptable and how to address the problem.
• Discuss the problem with someone you feel comfortable with such as your manager, HR department, or union representative (if you have one).
• Resolve the issue informally where possible. With the support of a manager or colleague, if you feel able to, arrange to speak with the person who is bullying you. 
• If you’re not ready to talk to someone at work about it, the ACAS website and helpline provide independent and confidential advice on what to do if you’re being bullied at work. 
• Raise a formal complaint if you still do not feel the situation is improving. You may be able to do this through formal grievance procedures in your workplace.

WHAT CAN ORGANISATIONS DO TO PREVENT BULLYING WITHIN THE WORKPLACE?

• Review key policies such as disciplinary, bullying, equality and diversity and homeworking in the context of the current climate.
• Review and communicate your codes of conduct and remind all staff about the expected standards of behaviour. Lead by example – now, more than ever, is the time for compassionate leadership and kindness.
• Support managers and provide training on how to effectively manage remote teams to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of their employees.
• Ensure that any new starters, remote onboarding and induction processes are reviewed to reflect the values of the organisation.
• Nip the problem in the bud at the earliest stage and talk to employees informally.  Some employees may not have realised they had caused offence.

It is an employer’s legal duty to provide a safe working environment for all their staff, which means taking a proactive approach to tackling bullying.  Bullying may also be unlawful harassment if it relates to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, such as race, age or sex.  

HOW CAN KR HR AND TRAINING CONSULTANCY HELP?

Whether you are an employer looking to take proactive steps to establish a positive working culture, have a timely review of your policies and procedure, or you are worried about how to tackle allegations of bullying in your workplace, get in touch via the contact page or call 01249 701486.