Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at the office

An Australian Exhibitions and Conferences product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 21, 2006

Bullies - the business and human cost

Workplace bullying, which may be costing Australian business up to $3 billion annually, is comparable to domestic violence, according to a speaker at the June 21 to 23 Queensland Safety Forum.

An estimated 350,000 Australians are subjected to long term bullying, while 2.5 million experience some aspect of bullying over the course of their working lives, according to the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).

Over half the respondents (53%) to union surveys report an unhappy and oppressive workplace, and 54% say that that intimidating behaviour - shouting, ordering and belittling people happens in their workplaces.

Almost a third report abusive language.

Experts addressing the Queensland Safety Forum say the effects can be devastating.

Bullying is a common cause of psychological injury, workplace stress and workplace-related suicide.

Organisational psychologist Richard Kasperczyk of RTK Corporate; author of Bully Busting and psychologist Evelyn Field; and Hadyn Olsen of Workplaces Against Violence in Employment, will be part of a stream dedicated to workplace bullying at the Queensland Safety Forum.

On Wednesday 21 June, five different speakers will present the legal, psychological and social implications of bullying on an individual, a group of employees and a corporation.

The Queensland Safety Forum runs concurrently with the inaugural Queensland Safety Show, to be held from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 June 2006 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Mr Olsen compares workplace bullying to a domestically violent home where "everyone sees what happens but no-one dares talk about it".

He says a workplace that allows bullying fosters a "climate of fear" in which people are afraid to speak up or make complaints.

Mr Kasperczyk draws an even stronger link between bullying at the workplace and damage to families.

"As employees experience bullying behaviours and they feel powerless to stop it, their self-confidence decreases and not only can they suffer serious psychological disorders like depression but their families and loved ones bear the brunt of their despair," he said.

"It is a common experience to see the hostility towards the bully at work who is too powerful to confront turn into rage and anger towards the more vulnerable family members".

"The results are often are broken families too." The New Zealand-based Workplaces Against Violence in Employment has identified 'situational' and the less common but much more serious 'chronic' bully types.

"Situational bullies are people who at times use bullying patterns of behaviour such as shouting, verbal abuse, intimidation and aggression," he said.

"However, most of the time they may be well behaved and only act this way in relation to certain situations or events".

"It may be a situation of high stress or change".

"It may be related to a conflict".

"These people are the easiest to change and respond well to education and behavioural management." "Chronic bullies bully others not just in situations but as a matter of course".

"They tend to always be picking on someone".

"Their dysfunction is deeper and often related to deep personality problems".

"At the worst end of the chronic scale we are talking about psychopathy".

"They are extremely dangerous and there is far less likelihood that they will rehabilitate or change." According to Mr Olsen, chronic bullies tend to be:.

* Addicted to power - continually needing to be dominant in order to feel powerful.

* Have a charming side - often a Jekyll and Hyde personality that hides their dark side.

* Results focused - ensuring others perform to make them look good.

However they often burn these people out in the process.

* Deceitful and manipulative - able to lie, justify and manipulate people and situations for their own ends.

* Autocratic - not team players.

They may know the language of teamwork but the reality is they dominate, divide and destroys functional teams.

* Impulsive - often making decisions on the spur of the moment.

* Lack empathy - low emotional intelligence and low ability to understand the emotions of others.

* Don't resolve conflict - fight or flight is their common defensive patterns.

The speakers at the Queensland Safety Forum will also address how bullies are recognised and managed, as well as how to create a bully-free workplace where employees feel comfortable and safe.

The inaugural Queensland Safety Show and Queensland Safety Forum will run from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 June 2006 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.