Episode 36
Wipe Out Workplace Bullying
Federal laws are on the books that require physical safety and prohibit harassment and discrimination on the job. However, handling complaints that accuse managers, or even executives, of being disrespectful or abusive can be legal gray areas that leave HR caught in the middle. Dr. Gary Namie, Director of the Workplace Bullying Institute, and Suffolk University Law Professor, David Yamada, share practical ways to address these delicate situations.
According to Dr. Namie: “Bullying is all about a narcissistic individual of any rank fouling up the work process and productivity and team dynamics. So bullying actually prevents work from getting done. That’s the hook that HR can use because if they can show the documentable harm on productivity, then the C-suite has to care … because bullies are very expensive to keep.”
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Guest Spotlight
Gary Namie & David Yamada
Directors, The Workplace Bullying Institute, The New Workplace Institute at Suffolk University Law School
Dr. Gary Namie is a social psychologist who began consulting for organizations as “The Work Doctor” in 1985. He also taught graduate and undergraduate courses in management and psychology and co-founded the Workplace Bullying Institute with his wife, Ruth, to prevent and correct abusive conduct at work through education and training. The couple has also written the books “Bully-Proof Yourself at Work,” “The Bully at Work” and “The Bully-Free Workplace.”
David Yamada is the director of The New Workplace Institute at Suffolk University Law School. He is a globally recognized authority on workplace bullying and psychological abuse. He authored the Healthy Workplace Bill, which has become the template for enacted and proposed workplace anti-bullying state laws throughout the U.S. His blog, Minding the Workplace, has attracted more than 1 million page views since launching in 2008.
“Bullying actually prevents work from getting done. That’s the hook that HR can use. Because if they can show the documentable harm on productivity, then the C-suite has to care.”
Gary Namie, Director, The Workplace Bullying Institute
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