When you think of the anti-bullying movement and Pink Shirt Day, it’s safe to assume most people think of children.
What doesn’t usually spring to mind is the thought of an adult, suffering mentally, as opposed to physically, at the hands of a workplace bully, be they a colleague or boss.
But that’s why — since 2012, when new WorkSafeBC legislation was passed to specifically deal with bullying and harassment in the workplace — the days of the office practical joke and/or teasing are all but extinct.
Bullying and harassment in the workplace is now a serious consideration for all concerned, and from Nov. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2016, Richmond-based WorkSafeBC fielded 11,471 inquiries and complaints in relation to the new health and safety policies.
“Sometimes, people think bullying is walking up and pushing people around, it’s not,” said Al Johnson, WorkSafeBC’s vice-president of Prevention Field Services.
“But you know and I know that bullying can be very subtle. Teasing someone constantly or frequently making someone the joke of the office can be perceived by many as people just having some fun.
“But that kind of behaviour, such as name-calling, can lead to the isolation of a worker, just the same as the more obvious kinds of bullying and harassment, such as the dictatorial approach.”
New laws shone spotlight on office jokes
Of the 11,000-plus inquires, 2,421 (21 per cent) were the result of online questionnaires (allegations of bullying and harassment) and 452 (four per cent) were referrals resulting from WorkSafeBC case managers, who then referred a designated bullying and harassment officer for follow up at the workplace.
Seven per cent (769) were reports of employers having inadequate policies, procedures and training in place.
The remaining enquiries (68 per cent) were general enquires that were resolved by the WorkSafeBC response desk officer.
Asked if the new legislation — which, in part, requires employers to have policies, procedures and training in place — afforded credibility to claims of workplace bullying and harassment, Johnson said it certainly focused the attention of employers and workers.
“It definitely shone the light on bullying and harassment and made people think a bit more about their behaviour,” he said.
“Certain things were tolerated in the past, but people might look at that now and think it could constitute bullying or harassment, such as practical jokes.”
The hospitality industry in B.C. generated the most number of bullying and harassment complaints at 15 per cent.
“Some of it is maybe from the culture of the kitchen,” explained Johnson.
“And there are a number of TV shows, where the chefs really have a go at staff; that can be perceived as the norm.”
A further 14 per cent of the complaints in that three-year period came from the healthcare sector; 10 per cent from retail and the rest spread throughout various industries.
But what if, as in some cases, the boss happens to be the bully?
“If it’s a small company, with limited resources, then we could get involved,” Johnson said. “If they are being bullied and are then terminated because they brought it to our attention, again, we can get involved. But we hope it never comes to that.”
However, in the majority of cases, said Johnson, when workers complete the WorkSafeBC bullying and harassment questionnaire, “they often realize it isn’t bullying and/or harassment and they go away with solutions on how to deal with it themselves.”
For more information, go online to WorkSafeBC.com and type “bullying” into the search option on the home page.
What is bullying and harassment?
A worker is bullied and harassed when someone takes an action that he or she knew or reasonably ought to have known would cause that worker to be humiliated or intimidated. When an employer or supervisor takes reasonable action to manage and direct workers, it is not bullying and harassment. - WorkSafeBC
