Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do?

Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do?

http://wlb.monster.com/articles/bullying/
http://wlb.monster.com/articles/bullying2/

The essence of workplace bullying is to twist political and social power to inflict psychological abuse on a carefully chosen target. But the vast majority of such incidents are not illegal in the US, according to Gary Namie, PhD, president of The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute in Bellingham, Washington, and author of The Bully at Work.
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It's easy to say that targets should respond aggressively to bullies, but it's not always possible. "A lot of people who are targeted can't fight back," Namie says. "They don't have it in them."

The alternative is to involve human resources, a higher manager or an outside advocate, such as a consultant or lawyer. But don't confide in anyone close to the bully -- that could make matters worse. And make sure you document the abuse.

If you're being bullied, leaving your job is sometimes the only way to salvage your physical and mental health. "My boss was killing me -- destroying my health," says a technical writer bullied out of her job. "I had three heart attacks during that time."

If you leave, tell the powers that be why. "The nature of the departure is what predicts your health," Namie explains. Bullied workers who go out fighting are likely to get past the nightmare relatively quickly and move on to a better work situation. "If you skulk away in silence, the bully gets to be the oral historian," he says.
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