Workplace Safety Requirements Are a Two-Way Street
Employers and employees must work hand-in-hand to satisfy workplace safety requirements issued by OSHA, states, and other stakeholders.
Workplace bullying affects more than the person being bullied. Here are some tips to prevent bullying at work.
Workplace bullying affects more than the person being bullied. Its adverse effects can ripple throughout the group. Here are some steps you can take to manage and even improve these types of situations.
Feeling pushed around and bullied at work can have serious consequences for not just employee morale and performance but safety, too, according to a study published in The Journal of Applied Psychology.
When employees feel bullied, it threatens interpersonal bonds that make them feel like they’re part of a group and more likely to disregard safety rules, precautions, and procedures because they’re no longer thinking of themselves as part of that group.
When some employees fail to carry out safety practices, it leaves everyone at risk, even those who have nothing to do with the incidents, whether as bullies or victims. Those safety violations can lead to incidents of workplace illness or injury that are totally preventable.
It can feel like a big challenge to take on the issue of bullying at work. But ignoring it or hoping it will go away can actually allow it to grow and pose even greater threats to workplace health and safety as the situation deteriorates.
Here are some ways to respond:
If you’re being bullied at work or you notice a coworker being bullied, then do report it. For any reason, if you cannot report it to your own supervisor, then take the issue to HR. Most companies’ HR departments have policies and procedures in place to investigate bullying incident reports quickly and impartially.
One person being bullied at work can cause problems for the entire team or department, including a raised risk of safety violations or incidents. For this reason, taking steps to cut down on this kind of harassment at work benefits the whole group. Reporting workplace incidents, leadership training, and bullying prevention programs can help.
Further Reading: 4 Tips for Preventing Workplace Violence
Employers and employees must work hand-in-hand to satisfy workplace safety requirements issued by OSHA, states, and other stakeholders.
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