| Prison. Is that what your job feels like every day? | | | | discovered that the boss had only raised his pay |
| If so, you are not alone. Many people go to work | | | | by $1/hour. Now, over a four year period, that |
| every day feeling like they are turning themselves | | | | amounted to a substantial amount of money. But |
| into the authorities. They have to ask themselves | | | | more importantly, the trust Tom had in his |
| if the pain and anguish of facing another week, | | | | bosses' word was destroyed and soon after he |
| day or even hour is worth the money. Do they | | | | left the company after 12 years. |
| have a choice? | | | | The Prime Time Bully: This is the person who, for |
| When people work together, each with their own | | | | either his goals or the company's goals, draws his |
| style, personality, temperament, ideas and | | | | employees into an intense workload that is |
| creativity, there will always be differences of | | | | unhealthy and unbalanced both at work and at |
| opinion. The good thing about this is that these | | | | home. They get seduced into the leader's agenda |
| differences start dialog where hopefully everyone | | | | and hooked on an unsustainable workload. When |
| concerned can come to an agreement and move | | | | this person is either transferred, fails or quits, the |
| forward. The problems arise when the dialog turns | | | | employees are left with either regrets, burnout, |
| into a monolog and is controlled by one person in | | | | or this learned work addiction that keeps them |
| a way that is de-energizing, belittling, harassing, | | | | permanently off balance. |
| embarrassing, and unproductive to the | | | | The Swamp Master: This one may not seem |
| organization. | | | | important or even as a type of bully that is |
| Enter the bully. They may be hard to recognize in | | | | commonly seen in the workplace, but nonetheless, |
| the beginning because they are usually nice and | | | | this one does have an effect on employees and if |
| helpful up front. During the time of their politeness, | | | | not curtailed early on, can cause a toxic |
| they are sizing up who their next target will be. | | | | environment for all. This is the long-time employee |
| The Bully Alligator: This is the meanest of all the | | | | who has been with the company either from |
| bullies and he/she doesn't care who knows it. As | | | | inception or shortly thereafter. He/she feels it's |
| a matter of fact, he prefers others to know. This | | | | their duty to take over the staff and the running |
| person purposely uses intimidation and silent | | | | of the company while the boss is out of the |
| threats to control his staff. He/she intentionally | | | | office. The boss has not asked this person to be |
| inflicts pain on others in order to control them, | | | | in charge.....they just feel it's their job. Once the |
| degrade them or to undermine their confidence. | | | | boss has walked out of the door, this person |
| Sam was a senior manager of a department in a | | | | takes over, giving everyone instructions and |
| large corporation. When he hired his staff he | | | | hovering over them. The reason they do this is to |
| would bring each one into his office where he | | | | make themselves feel more important and not |
| kept two fish tanks. He had the employee pick | | | | necessarily to be a bully. But it can be |
| out the fish they thought closely fit their | | | | misconstrued as being a bully and when not |
| personality and it was put into a smaller fish bowl | | | | caught in the beginning can cause toxic situations |
| for the person to take to their desk. Sam even | | | | in the workplace. |
| provided the food for the fish. However, when | | | | Mobbing: This is commonly done by a group of |
| that employee did something that Sam | | | | people with a specific leader with the main |
| disapproved of, he would call them into his office | | | | purpose of getting rid of a particular person. They |
| and tell them to bring their fish bowl with them He | | | | intentionally bully this person in whatever way |
| would then have the employee take his fish from | | | | they can in order to force that person to quit or |
| the smaller bowl and feed it to a piranha in the | | | | move to another department. Companies can also |
| second fish tank. This tactic held much more | | | | have their reasons for getting rid of people and |
| emotional effect than writing up the employee for | | | | they do it in this manner when they have no |
| their mistake. It also served Sam's ultimate need | | | | other options. Some of the reasons for them to |
| for control over others. | | | | do this is to get rid of someone who has a health |
| The Deceptive Bully: The little children's rhyme | | | | problem and the company does not want to put |
| that goes "liar, liar, pants on fire" comes to mind | | | | the money out for health care costs. Case in |
| here. Promises of raises, promotions, vacations, | | | | point: |
| time off with family are all made in order for you | | | | Eileen worked for a large health care facility in the |
| to have something to look forward to and to | | | | admissions department. She was suddenly |
| keep you focused on doing more and more for | | | | stricken with a heart problem and required open |
| your boss. The time comes for your vacation and | | | | heart surgery to correct the problem. When she |
| all the arrangements have been made months in | | | | returned to work 8 weeks later the 'mobbing' |
| advance, including permission to have the time | | | | began. Her boss called her into the office on a |
| off, and you're told that now is not a good time | | | | daily basis and would point out alleged mistakes |
| for you to leave because there is too much work | | | | she was making. Eileen believed her and would |
| to be done. Or your review is coming up and | | | | work extra hard not to repeat these mistakes. |
| you've been promised a promotion with a raise. | | | | This scenario went on every day for three |
| The review takes place, but the raise and | | | | months until Eileen started seeing a psychologist |
| promotion don't. This behavior is repeated and | | | | believing she was crazy. The emotional trauma |
| repeated. Slowly all the air is deflated from your | | | | that was inflicted by several people was more |
| body and your energy is drained as each promise | | | | than she could bear. The final straw came the |
| is broken. This type of behavior devalues ones | | | | day she went into work and was walked down to |
| worth and abilities in the long run. | | | | the comptrollers office where she was given the |
| Tom worked for a small trucking firm in Northern | | | | choice of going back on a 90 day probation (she |
| California. One night while he was working over | | | | had been employed there for 2 years) or she |
| time and was loading heavy equipment, his boss | | | | could quit. In tears, she chose to leave. What she |
| called him on his cell phone. They talked for 45 | | | | learned a year later from another employee was |
| minutes and during that conversation his boss told | | | | that this behavior was purposely inflicted on her |
| him he was going to increase his pay by $2/hour. | | | | so she would leave. The hospital had an unwritten |
| Tom trusted this would take place. There was no | | | | policy that any employee that presented a health |
| place on his pay stub that indicated how much per | | | | risk/cost should be gotten rid of. |
| hour he was making, but as I said, Tom trusted | | | | Bully's exist in all workplaces. They come in |
| his boss. Four years later, when something else in | | | | different sizes, shapes and from different |
| his paycheck caught his eye, he went to the | | | | backgrounds. Some are worse than others, but in |
| payroll clerk to ask a question. That's when he | | | | the long run they produce the same result. |