Workplace Bullying: Human Resources and Supervisors do not Protect Bullied Victims

 It seems that workplace bullying is on the rise and nothing can be done.  Some states are lining up with volunteers who are feverishously trying to get legislatures to vote and pass the Healthy Workplace Bill.  But, however ,what is more astonishing is that the victims of workplace bullying are targeted because those workers not only are brighter, better but more well liked then the bullies.  The reason for the bullies getting away with their brutal psychological warfare is because victims of workplace bullying tend not to confront their abuser or tell anyone, like supervisors or human resource management.  Maybe this is because the culture breeds bullies throughout the hierarchy of the workplace and the supervisors and human resource supervisors protect the bullies.  Human resources are not friends to victims of workplace discrimination or bullying.  With that knowledge victims either have a choice to quit or take it.  Most take it for a long time before quitting and by then the victim has endured such psychological damage.Unless the bullied worker  quits and gets help it can be a lifelong health threat.                

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Many of us have had a bully for a boss or co-worker at one point or another in our careers.

They mess with you, insult you, humiliate you and nit-pick just about everything you do.

It is such a problem in the workplace that the stress of it all can lead to health problems and even forces some people to quit.

KDKA-TV's Kimberly Gill spoke with one person who wished to remain anonymous about the strain of working in an environment where they were constantly bullied by their supervisors.

They said the abuse gave them anxiety attacks and high blood pressure.

"My supervisor was always interested in winning the argument and it didn't matter who she was hurting in the process," they said.

They claimed that while on the job, they were belittled, yelled at and made the focus of gossip.

All this happened while co-workers, who they claim were less educated and less qualified, were treated better.

They tried to report what was happening, but it had little effect.

"My bosses basically looked the other way," they said.

Workplace bullying can take a number of forms.

• Needlessly harsh criticism.
• Being falsely accused of a mistake
• Having your comments or opinions dismissed or not acknowledged
• Being held to different standards and policies than co-workers in similar positions.

CMU's Dr. Denise Rousseau said stories of workplace bullying are common, but we have been slow to do anything about it.

"There are very few labor laws that really interfere with what goes on inside the workplace in terms of what goes on and how people are treated within a normal range. But, I do think that doesn't absent the organization from the moral responsibly to make the workplace a place where people can behave cooperatively and effectively," Dr. Rousseau said.

Experts said if you think you're being bullied in the workplace you need to take a stand.

You should start by documenting the behavior and then speak up to the harasser.

If that doesn't work, contact your human resources department and/or the harasser's boss.