Ask HR Bartender: Being Labeled a Workplace Bully
Some time ago, I wrote a post about Fairness and much later a reader left a comment on that piece about workplace bullying:
How can I avoid the quicksand of bias leadership as an employee? When trying to point out an obvious unfair practice, I’ve been accused of “bullying” the poor dear that was the perpetrator.
Wow. There are so many dynamics at play here. And without knowing all the details, I thought the best way to answer this comment would be to share a variety of resources about workplace bullying that may be helpful.
In looking for a reference on the subject, I came across an interesting article by Beth Mirza on SHRM’s We Know Next 
If you want to read more about workplace bullying, I found the book “Stop Bullying at Work: Strategies and Tools for HR and Legal Professionals” by Teresa Daniel to be a comprehensive overview of the subject. Many thanks to SHRM for sharing a copy of the book with me.
The book provides some background into what bullying is, why it happens and the business consequences of ignoring bullying behavior. I found the chapter doing a compare and contrast of “Tough Boss or Workplace Bully” to be particularly interesting.
There is also dedicated conversation on the topic of response. Should a person respond to bullying? If so, how can you do it effectively? And if additional measures need to be taken, how the target of bullying can survive.
If your organization wants to adopt an anti-bullying policy or needs to deal with a current situation, this book can offer both insights and suggestions. If you are an individual trying to deal with a bully, it can help you understand the dynamics and assist in sorting out how you might want to respond.
Do you know any other resources on the subject of workplace bullying? Leave them in the comments. Thanks!
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