Anderson-davis, Inc. Blog

How Playground Bullies Become Office Bullies

Kelly Kramer — 2011-12-20T14:54:00Z

There is at least one kid in every school that is known as a bully. That person intimidates and pushes others around simply because they feel like it is easy. Adults might try to intervene, but it usually just makes things worse for whoever is getting bullied. Unfortunately, a lot of playground bullies end up becoming bullies in the office when they become adults.

Why is this? The easy answer is that whatever was causing this person to be a bully when they were a kid has still been unresolved. However this person becomes a bully, it can pose real issues at work. Mobbing, e.g., a group of employees ganging up against another employee or couple of employees in the workplace, is a serious issue and it needs to be examined within the company to make sure that there are no issues with this at work. A bully can lower morale and make it extremely difficult to work around someone who is constantly intimidating others.

Workplace mobbing harassment usually happens because one worker realizes that they can just overpower their way to success. A lot of people in the working world refuse to speak up out of fear that they could be perceived as weak. A few people take advantage of that and simply intimidate others into doing things for them.

The boss could be the main problem when it comes to mobbing in the workplace. Not all bosses are great leaders and some think that those who are bullies are the true leaders. This isn't true in a lot of workplaces, but some people believe that “might makes right”. In a situation like this, it is no wonder why some would think that it is OK to bully at the office.

On a related note, workplace mobbing harassment could be seen as another form of office politics. Perhaps workers buy in to bullying other workers simply because it is the only way to get ahead. In that sense, no one really sees that the actions are really the actions of a bully. Each day, workers go to work expecting abuse and take it.

Bullying is an issue for all ages. Playground bullies grow to learn that they can have their way simply because they are bigger, or more politically adept, than those around them. It usually stems from the bully’s insecurities and fears. Playground bullying has often been dismissed as kids just being kids, but at work, bullying is often tolerated. Just as children are educated, workers may need to be educated to recognize and stop bullying.

Disability Etiquette in the Workplace (How to Treat Those With a Disability)

Kelly Kramer — 2011-12-20T14:54:00Z

On July 26, 1990 the US Congress enacted the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), with the stated goal of ending discrimination against and harassment of the disabled. Its four titles dealt with four separate access areas: employment; state & local government; public accommodations; telecommunications. Recently Congress passed an amendment to ADA, Amendment Act (ADAAA).

The ADA prohibited discrimination against individuals who have or are perceived to have a disability, and imposed obligations for access and inclusion. The most immediate and obvious consequence was that buildings which did not already have wheelchair ramps, elevators, handicapped-accessible restrooms and wide electrically-controlled entrance doors installed those features. Persons with limited physical mobility have found things a bit easier. But, two decades out from passage and implementation of the ADA, obstacles to the successful employment of disabled individuals remain.

Many able-bodied workers are uncomfortable around their disabled peers, for a variety of reasons. One major reason is simple lack of knowledge and understanding of the disability; the unknown is fearsome. They may also be reluctant to engage the disabled person in conversation or even to make eye contact, for fear of seeming rude or intrusive, or of inadvertently saying something offensive. This lack of engagement may not rise to the level of disability harassment in the workplace, but it can cause the disabled worker to feel shunned and excluded.

Then, there is the stigma of disability. There is the occasional perception that the disabled worker is in some way responsible for causing his/her condition. There is the usually inaccurate and irrational fear that the disability might be contagious. These are only some of the attitudinal barriers faced by persons who have visible, obvious disabilities such as use of an assistive mobility device or loss of a limb. Persons with invisible, non-obvious disabilities face an entirely different set of challenges.

Invisible or non-obvious disabilities include many conditions ranging from mental illness to epilepsy, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, to name just a few. The biggest challenge for these workers is deciding when or whether to disclose the existence of the disability. Even when their condition limits their ability to perform job tasks, such workers may be reluctant to ask for the reasonable accommodation to which they are entitled under the ADA. Some of these workers are not aware that they can ask for accommodation; many of them do not even consider themselves disabled. Those who are aware of their rights under ADA may refrain from exercising those rights for fear of possible disability harassment in the workplace, or because they do not wish to be seen as asking for or receiving special treatment.

The solution to most of these situations is education. The disabled worker needs to be aware of the provisions of the ADA, and also needs enough knowledge and awareness of her/his own condition to be able to articulate specific barriers and know what types of accommodations to request. Most disabled persons are taught these things as a part of their rehabilitation programs. In the workplace, human resources staff and line supervisors need to have a basic understanding of the worker's condition and what that worker is and is not able to do, and must be willing to be flexible about reasonable accommodations. Frequently, as part of the return-to-work process, vocational rehabilitation professionals will come into the workplace and provide some of the necessary education.

A normal human impulse is the desire to help someone who is perceived as needing it. This can lead to awkward and or disrespectful workplace situations if unwanted or unneeded help is imposed on the disabled worker; such offers can be perceived as patronizing. The best way for co-workers to handle this is to simply ask the disabled worker if help is wanted.

Common courtesy and treating others as one would wish to be treated go a long way; those are the basic concepts of all etiquette.

If you don’t know the answers to the following questions please contact us. We have a strategic partner who is very knowledgeable and experienced in assisting employers in effectively and legally managing workplace-related ADA and ADAAA situations:

How to I determine if this request for an accommodation is "reasonable"?

Can I terminate an employee who has a disability but has a performance issue?

When is enough, "enough" in terms of providing accommodations?

Where does ADA and FMLA intersect and how do we handle leave requests?

We need help in understanding the intersection between the various federal laws such as ADA, Worker's Compensation, FMLA and OSHA.

Can we centralize requests for Reasonable Accommodations and if so, how?

What questions can I ask during an interview?

How do we provide an accommodation for someone who won't officially disclose their disability?

Are we responsible for hiring a sign language interpreter during meetings and trainings? If so, for which ones and when?

Are there tax incentives available when hiring a person with a disability or conducting barrier removal and if so, what are they?

What types of medical information can we request of an individual with a disability and when?

What do we do when a reasonable accommodation causes unrest among other employees?

How do we go about implementing an accommodation request when we don't have the resources or information to identify proper assistive technology or other equipment?

How do we properly work with employees who have hidden disabilities such as psychiatric, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.?

How do we appropriately market job opportunities to individuals with disabilities?

Proper Social Media Etiquette in Today’s Workplaces

Kelly Kramer — 2011-12-13T14:54:00Z

Most employers realize that social media has become integrated into our personal and professional lives. Many employers are also recognizing the benefit of their employees interacting on social media platforms and more are recruiting employees using social media. However, there is a proven need to provide some guidelines to employees who use social media in the workplace.

The social media phenomenon technically began in 1971 when the first email was sent between two computers sitting side by side. Today it has grown into something much more public than email though.

In the 1990s, America Online (AOL) became the rage because users could come up with customized login names and interact in chat rooms somewhat anonymously. That trend has changed drastically in the last 20 years. More and more users of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are using their real names on the platforms. That means that anonymity is out the window and what users say in the space is mostly in the public domain for all to see.

On the flip side of this, employers are encouraging their employees to interact with customers, clients and readers on behalf of the company. They may or may not have separate social media accounts for their personal and professional use. However, when actual names are shown in the public domain, many employers are establishing guidelines for appropriate social media use both professionally and personally.

The first rule of proper social media etiquette in the workplace should be common sense. Users should not swear or use otherwise offensive language; especially if their account is representing a business. There should also be no sexual overtones or images in the language used on social media. One guideline for appropriate language and images is that if you wouldn't want all of your family and coworkers to read/see what you wrote and displayed, don’t say or show it in social media.

There are also some basic topics that should be avoided that could be considered controversial. Employers might want to warn employees that subject matter that includes race, religion or politics could be offensive to some customers or clients.

As social media evolves, so does its ability to share more than words. Today, photos and videos are uploaded to social media networks by the thousands every day. Employees should not display photos or videos that are inappropriate in any manner; again especially when they are representing a business.

However, while some concrete rules need to be put in place for social media in the workplace, it does not need to be so rigid as to not allow employees to show their personality and engage realistically with customers and clients. Remember that social media does indeed need to be social and, if it isn't, your company could lose just as much creditability if some of these guidelines are not followed.

Proper social media etiquette in the workplace does not need to be difficult. These basic guidelines will help employers and employees project a positive image while taking advantage of social media’s communications potential.

Workplace Bullying

Application — 2011-11-30T14:54:00Z

It would be nice to think that workplace bullies did not exist in this day and age but that simply isn't the fact. Workplace bullying is still going on strong in almost every industry.
In different surveys conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute, the definition refers to repeated abuse (usually verbally) by bosses or co-workers that can lead to less productivity in the workplace. This phenomenon can be related to sexual harassment but it does not have to be.

In the institute's first survey in 2007, 35% of respondents admitted to experiencing bullying in the workplace firsthand. The survey also found that 62% of the workplace bullies were men while 58% of the targets were women. However, it should be noted that not all bullies were male. Of the female bullies, they targeted other women 80% of the time. In fact, across the board, 68% of the bullying was against the same gender. This is an interesting fact because most sexual harassment cases are not against the same gender.

Another finding from the institute's surveys show that while half of those surveyed have witnessed bullying firsthand, half of those respondents did not report it. This almost makes bullying in the workplace a "silent epidemic" and also makes it difficult to put forth effective workplace bullying laws. Also, because much of the bullying is same gender, it is not illegal according to workplace discrimination laws.

At the same time, surveys have shown that most Americans are against bullying in the workplace. This is especially true for ethnic groups who are protected by civil rights laws.
Surveys taken by the institute in 2010 show that bullying in the workplace occurs for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons can include education, politics, religion, race, age and gender. Bullying can come from bosses or co-workers equally. In cases where the bullying occurs between co-workers, it has been found that employers tend to ignore it (even if they witness it firsthand) unless the conflict is reported to them directly or the company's human resources department.

The targets have a hard time reporting the incidents because they are afraid they will look like "tattlers" to their co-workers. They have an even harder time reporting the bullying if it is coming from their superiors. The fear of retaliation on both counts is high and, although it would be illegal according to workplace bullying laws, the fear of losing their jobs is equally high. Witnesses to bullying in the workplace also do not report incidents for mostly the same reasons.

Bullying in the workplace should not be tolerated under any circumstances. As indicated in the institute's official definitions, it only leads to the prevention of quality work being accomplished. Any employee or employer who witnesses such actions should feel compelled to report it to avoid repetition.