Why do people put up with inappropriate behavior in the workplace?
It’s great to have policies and procedures in place to deal with inappropriate behavior in the workplace. One of the biggest dilemmas is that a significant amount of inappropriate behavior is still unreported. Why is this the case? I’ve listed some of the key reasons why I think there are still problems when it comes to challenging bad behavior. I have also included some possible remedies that you may want to consider when implementing anti-bullying and anti-bullying strategies.
fear
It could be argued that this is a common human reaction, particularly as it relates to questioning the bad behavior of another human being. Truth be told, though, people fear that if they go out on a parapet and challenge inappropriate behavior, it will all backfire on them. They may fear for their own job or their health and safety. The common response may be to simply bury your head in the sand and hope the problem goes away. It takes a lot of courage to confront a person and tell them that their behavior is offensive. Consider the options people have if they want to raise a concern. You may want to consider appointing contact officers, people trained in relevant legislation and policies. These people are often an ideal first port of call for someone with a concern. Give people more than one option on how to report an incident. Make sure anti-bullying and harassment policies are well publicized and posted on bulletin boards and on your intranet site.
management distrust
Not this old chestnut again, you may ask. However, it is safe to assume that in many workplaces management still does not enjoy the trust and respect of the workforce. This is unfortunate, and even in the most positive work environment, you will always find your mavericks finding fault with management. It is essential to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that ALL reported instances of bullying and harassment are treated fairly and equitably. Make sure to be consistent too. Try to avoid situations where there is a rule for one individual/group but another individual/group is exempt from criticism and investigation because they are too important or too valuable to the organization. Procedural fairness must be applied in all areas.
Unreliable complaint procedure
People will often argue that there is no point in filing a complaint, especially if it involves a member of the management/leadership team. People will complain and moan that the complaint will favor the status quo, invariably the manager. This is the wrong approach to take. Organizations are implementing anti-bullying and anti-bullying policies because they want to remove bullies from the organization. Your rank or grade should be irrelevant. Organizations must ensure that every complaint filed is taken seriously and is investigated fairly and impartially. Don’t worry about how long it will take to complete the investigation, the more complete the investigation, the more likely there will be a successful resolution. Don’t be picky about witnesses; talk to everyone involved. This will ensure that you achieve balance and procedural fairness. Consider publicly recording the number of reported incidents each month and stating how many cases have been resolved and how many are still ongoing. You may also want to consider making ‘Bullying and Harassment’ a permanent item on the agenda at the management meeting and on the S&SO forums.
Different cultural values about what is acceptable behavior.
It is true that in some workplaces you will find people who may have originally come from authoritarian countries where racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of inappropriate behavior were openly tolerated. In fact, basic human rights are still denied in many countries and certain cultures legally allow discrimination against women, homosexuals and other minorities. This can be quite tricky for people moving to a more “liberal” work environment. It is up to the organization to ensure that all new staff members are properly inducted and that attention is paid to bullying, harassment and discrimination during induction. Regular training sessions are also an effective way to ensure that all employees are up to date on any changes in policy or legislation. You don’t have to shove them down your throat, but you do need to stay ‘on message’ and remind all employees that you take misbehavior seriously.
Different ‘cultural’ values can also be applied to people who have worked in radically different organisations. Traditionally, there are some areas of the industry that have been associated with perpetuating a culture of bullying. Examples here could include the Health sector, the Police and the Armed Forces. The latter has undoubtedly often been associated with accepting bullying behavior as a way of imposing discipline and ‘making men’ of new recruits. That philosophy may have been appropriate in the previous century. This is the 21st century and we have witnessed a seismic shift in public opinion. Not only is it considered old-fashioned to be harassing and discriminatory, but in many countries it is now illegal as well.
Feeling that bullying and harassment are a normal part of the workplace culture
This is probably the most challenging dilemma for any organization, regardless of size or status. There are still many organizations that tolerate, and indeed condone, most forms of misbehavior. Sometimes you will even notice it when you visit another organization. Your instincts suggest that all is not well in this particular place. In all likelihood there has been no education regarding misbehavior. There will almost certainly be no policies and procedures related to inappropriate behavior. You can also probably guarantee that the leadership team will not take bullying and harassment issues seriously. You will probably witness bad behavior at all levels of this organization. My advice to any organization that does nothing to address bad behaviour, in this more enlightened age do nothing and it will be to the detriment of the entire organization and destroy its reputation and credibility.
