SECOND OPINION
Workplace bullies most poisonous
March 8, 2008
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Study: Workplace bullying is more harmful to employees than sexual harassment, according to a paper presented at the Seventh International Conference on Work, Stress and Health in Washington, D.C. Lead author Sandy Hershcovis, PhD, of the University of Manitoba says society has deemed sexual harassment unacceptable and organizations reach out to victims. "In contrast," he says, "non-violent forms of workplace aggression such as incivility and bullying are not illegal, leaving victims to fend for themselves.
Method: Hershcovis and co-author Julian Barling, PhD, of Kingston's Queen's University, reviewed 110 studies conducted over 21 years that compared the consequences of sexual harassment and bullying at work.
In particular, they looked at the impact on workers' satisfaction with their job, co-workers and supervisors, their levels of stress, anger and anxiety levels, and their mental and physical health. The researchers also looked at job turnover and emotional ties to the job.
The study authors delineated various forms of workplace aggression. Incivility included rudeness and discourteous verbal and non-verbal actions. Bullying included constant criticism of employees' work, yelling, reminding workers of their mistakes, spreading gossip or lies, ignoring or excluding employees, and insulting workers' habits, attitudes or private life. Interpersonal conflict involved hostility, verbal aggression and heated exchanges.
From the 128 samples researchers analyzed, 46 included people who suffered sexual harassment, 86 faced workplace aggression and six experienced both. Sample sizes ranged from 1,491 to 53,470 people and participants ranged from 18 to 65 years old. The work aggression samples included both sexes while the sexual harassment samples examined mostly women because men interpret and respond differently to the behaviours that women see as sexual harassment.
Claim: Both bullying and sexual harassment can poison the working environment and upset employees, but workplace aggression has worse consequences. Victims of bullying, incivility or interpersonal conflicts are more likely to quit jobs, feel worse, and be less happy with their jobs and bosses than those who were sexually harassed. They also report more job stress, anger and anxiety and less commitment to their jobs.
Caveat: Bullying can be very subtle, making it difficult to deal with and punish.
Second Opinion by Libby Stephens regularly examines health studies. Source: News release.
Toronto Star
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