The Harvey Weinstein scandal has enabled society and workplaces across the world to take a hard look at sexual harassment and for individuals to come out with their own stories under the hashtag of #Metoo.
But the Weinstein scandal is not just about sexual harassment, but about a bullying culture which is far more easily accepted by businesses than sexual harassment. Weinstein’s victims did not come forward for years precisely because they were afraid of Weinstein’s power and how he could force them out of Hollywood. Those who listened to their complaints told them to keep quiet and enabled an abuser.
That culture of accepting and tolerating bullies is not just in Hollywood, but in businesses everywhere. Managers and employees alike in the aftermath of Weinstein must hold a serious dialogue to figure out the prevalence of bullying in their workplace and how to destroy the culture which looks at such behaviors as okay.
The Prevalence and Costs of Bullying
A major problem with tackling bullying culture is that many managers and employees do not understand how prevalent it is in the workplace. The Workplace Bullying Institute found in a survey that 19 percent of Americans “suffered abusive conduct at work” and another 19 percent witnessed such behavior. Some people may look at those numbers and conclude that workplace bullying is not that prevalent, but they are missing the big picture.
First, even witnessing workplace bullying or simple rudeness can have a detrimental effect on your work and a business’s performance. If you witness a boss scream and rage in an employee’s face for making a normal mistake, you become less inclined to report your own mistakes, leaving the boss with an incomplete picture of important matters. The Harvard Business Review also points out that if customers witness such behavior, “a large percentage will walk away and not want to deal with the organization again.”
Second, that 19 percent is understating things because many workers who are being bullied are unaware that they are bullied and view such behavior as normal as having quality training. Management has an obligation to educate workers on what bullying is. There may be no shoving workers into lockers like high school, but intimidation, name-calling, and other degrading activities should be cracked down upon even if people may think this behavior is normal.
Different Forms of Hierarchy
Thanks to Hollywood and examples like Ari Gold or the classic opening sequence of Glengarry Glen Ross, we often think of workplace bullying as something bosses do to employees. But just as much bullying can occur between coworkers, and some employees can even bully their ostensible bosses. In fact, the Crisis Prevention Institute claims that “the majority of workplace bullying occurs on a lateral level; i.e., employees bullying coworkers.”
Remember that coworkers are not equal in the workplace, and some coworkers have more power over their fellow workers by virtue of seniority or superior skills among other things. Those coworkers can easily flaunt their power through bullying. When the bullied complain, management demurs because they are reluctant to punish an effective or long serving employee.
Stopping Bullying
Bullying cannot be viewed as normal, but how can companies actually take steps to prevent it and create a positive work environment?
The first step is to make sure that no one, no matter how high they are on the corporate ladder or skilled at their job, is above corporate ethics and rules. Establish an independent ethics officer who can examine bullying reports, confront bullies, and potentially punish or remove them from their positions. Ideally, a business should get an outsider for this position to ensure that the officer is outside office politics and grant the officer real power so that management cannot just brush aside his recommendations.
But no one person can catch every instance of corporate bullying or poor behavior, especially if victims refuse to stand up to their bullies. Upon starting an anti-bullying campaign, management may need to take swift, decisive, and public action to show bullies that their actions will not be tolerated and the victims that management has their backs. Managers should watch for people who are more likely to be targeted for bullying action. Minorities in the workplace, or even just those who are quiet and not aggressive may be picked on for their small faults.
A successful bullying campaign will take years of both punishment and education. Many bullies do not think of themselves as bullies, and may even think that they are friends with their victims. Educating them to the error of their ways with training and communication may take time, and those who do not learn will have to be let go.
Businesses may regret losing out on those workers, but the benefits of fighting bullying go beyond eliminating the bullies. By establishing a positive culture where workers feel free to speak their minds without fear of punishment, the result will be a more cooperative and innovative environment which will benefit the company the most over the long run.