Bullying in the Workplace - Spark Hire

Bullying in the Workplace - Spark HireWe may think that bullying is confined to the walls of high school. Every teen movie imaginable follows some sort of mantra that everything will get better after high school that bullies just magically disappear. We know, however, thatisntnecessarily true. Bullies still exist in the workplace, and as sports fans recently learned, in the college coaching ranks. So what can we learn from the latest bullying scandal involving now former Rutgers head mens basketball coach Mike Rice physically and verbally assaulting his players, and how can it be applied to the workplace?A recent Forbes article notes that 35% of all employees have experienced first-hand bullying. And while 62% of bullies are men, women who bully are bullying other women 80% of the time. Maybe Mean Girls isnt so far in the past after all. The statistics show that bullying is a prevalent workplace herausforderung and may be impacting your employees productivity, happiness, and job sati sfaction.Studies show that many who are bullied or witness bullying do not come forward, perpetuating the issue. And as Rutgers found out with Mike Rice, not telling on a bully not only hurts your teams (companys) performance in the short term, but it may hurt your brand long term as well. Rutgers, and Athletic Director Tim Pernetti, chose not to fire Mike Rice, instead giving him a slap on the wrist for his physical and verbal abuse. When news and video of Rices actions spread, the University and Athletic Department looked foolish for failing to monitor their own employees, and not taking harsh enough action against the bully. Instead, Rutgers allowed an unsafe workplace to stay unsafe and looked foolish, insensitive, and stupid when they had to end up firing Mike Rice after the video and story became public.Being proactive about bullying will not only help your workplace feel safer to employees, it will also help save your brand if any known bullying becomes public. A bully-free w orkplace is essential with the spread of social media. Turning a blind eye to workplace antics is no longer just morally wrong, but also fiscally irresponsible long term. Learn from Rutgers and the recent Mike Rice termination end bullying now. Its the right thing to do both as a rolle and a company.Do your workplace policies combat bullying? Share with us below.IMAGE Courtesy of Flickr byEddieS