Answer to Question #315181 in English for Karabo

Question

Give three possible ways in which work place bullying may be resolved

Answer 1

1. Keep a private record

It can be hard to remember exactly when and why you felt bullied. But those deets are super-important if you want to report bullying. Keep a personal record to help you remember the specifics and to show that you’ve been treated badly more than once.

Make a note of:

• the date and timewho is treating you badlyexactly what they’re doing or sayingwhere it happenswho else was there – it’s helpful if you have a co-worker who can back you uphow it makes you feel.

2. Check your workplace bullying policy

Check whether your work has a bullying or harassment policy. You might have been given a copy of this when you first started. It’ll give you an idea of who to talk to, what processes you should follow, and what the consequences will be for the person who is bullying you.

3. Ask for the bullying behaviour to stop

It’s a big step to accuse a co-worker of bullying behaviour, so it’s totally understandable to feel nervous about telling someone what’s been happening. Try to remember that it’s your work’s responsibility to make sure everyone feels safe and happy at work.

Try talking to the person who is displaying the bullying behaviour, and explaining that this is unfair or offensive. If you feel unsafe talking to this person, you could ask someone else to be in the meeting with you e.g. a colleague you trust.

4. Take it to your manager or HR

If you’re not comfortable talking to the person directly, you can have a chat to your manager or supervisor about the next steps.

If your manager is the person who is bullying you, or you don’t feel safe talking to your manager directly, you can take your concerns to someone more senior than them, or straight to human resources (HR).

Use your notes as a reference and clearly outline what’s been going on and how it’s affecting you. A lot of the time, HR will try to sort things out through mediation. But the person who's bullying you could be given a written warning or even be terminated.

If talking to your manager or HR isn’t possible, or this doesn’t stop the bullying behaviour happening to you, it might be time to take the issue even further.