17 November 2009     Anti-Bullying Week - Steve’s story

Steve is a real person (name has been changed) who contacted the union some twelve months ago with issues surrounding bullying and harassment at work. It is not for us to say whether it was a work colleague or a member of management so we will keep silence on this. Irrespective who the bully is, the event and problems are exactly the same. The pain and torment experienced by the victim is horrendous.

Steve had experienced bullying at work for some considerable time but he, like many other victims, either bares the weight of the bullying in the hope it will go away or is fearful of the repercussions.

Victims are targeted by people who, in Steve’s case, dislike or see them as a threat. Some bully’s go to the extreme by pushing the victim into resigning or quit their job by making the use of false accusations.

The use of bullying and harassment tactics also spreads among the workforce. It is seen as a means to an end. In other words it is a tactic with an objective. Those who see such actions also become fearful and thus sides with the bully so that they do not become the next target.

Bullies’ either singularly or as a group, pick out an individual or attack him or her solely with imagined justification. The bully, as in Steve’s case, sees that he is warranted in his harassment due to a previous grievance brought against him.

There is a misconception that bullying is related solely to sarcastic remarks or verbal abuse; it could also come from ‘isolation, cold shouldering or snubbing, sending to Coventry, exile and quarantine. The bullying for Steve began with the subtle sarcastic remarks followed by quite whispering and sudden silence when he walked into a room and later by unfounded accusations.

Steve said that his shoulders were broad enough to carry the weight of the bullying and in any case he feared that if he:

• started explaining, supporting, defending, justifying etc it gets worse
• If he stood up for himself, it gets worse
• If he took action, it gets worse
• If he fought back, it gets worse

Therefore Steve preferred to ignore the problem in the belief that to do so implied that he was unable to stand the heat or show some weakness.  

However, the truth is, if you do not confront the problem the issue deepens.

Steve was informed to keep a book and record all incidents, dates, times and names. This becomes his proof that bullying by others is happening and is evidence if the issue is taken to a grievance.

He was told to issue a warning to the bully that they must stop and if they refused to do so he would take it further. Eventually a grievance was brought against the perpetrator and a meeting was held with management.  

The majority of employers have a bullying and harassment procedure which is commendable but quite a few do not know how to how to deal with incidents when they actually arrive.

In most cases the employer delays meetings in the hope that the situation will go away. Some even say that it is mess room banter or the derogatory term that it is boys being boys or girls being girls. They even take the attitude that the victim should not take these things seriously. In defence the bully would say the same. They would argue that “I am having a joke” and the other person is “too sensitive” WRONG WRONG WRONG

Bullying is a poison and it is vicious. Bullies get self gratification by making other peoples life a living hell which ultimately reflects on the victim’s home life. This means that their partners and children also suffer. I repeat, their children suffer.

What is worrying is that, apart from employers, many other organisations that equally have bullying and harassment procedures condone such acts. They condone it simply by ignoring it as if it is not happening.

We therefore question the reason why they allow it. Is it because they are under the misapprehension that they need the fear of bullies to control?

Could it be that such bullying and harassment is endemic in the core fabric of those organisations.  If that is so then they hide behind false dictum and ultimately they are false.

Following Steve’s grievance the employer approached this with an apathetic response but this was down to the fact that they simply did not know what to do. ATCU did not allow the grievance to go away and with one hundred percent support from this union, we pushed harder for a solution. Eventually the company took action and  the bullies stopped their intimidation and Steve was able to resume working in an environment free of such thugs.

Following this another person within the company began to experience the same problems but the company had learned. They had learned that when such situations arrive we will protect our members and that they must act immediately and in this case they did, it did not even get to the grievance stage.

So if you become the victim of such despicable acts never think you are alone. We are here to help.