We first ran this blog in 2014 and from the number of comments we received, it clearly raised issues that resonated with many of our readers. So by popular demand here it is again. We welcome your comments, as always.
Bullying and harassment legislation is in place to protect employees from being bullied by their co-workers. If you have been accused of bullying at work, it’s important to follow company procedure and co-operate with any internal or external investigations.
Although most bullying and harassment claims are legitimate, sometimes accusations can arise from misunderstandings, communication difficulties or can be brought against a manager, co-worker or subordinate out of malice or revenge for a perceived slight.
Accusations of bullying commonly occur where managers or supervisors have provided feedback to an under performing employee, or taken disciplinary measures against them. Management direction isn’t considered bullying, and as long as any actions taken were documented and reasonable, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
If you are managing employees and providing feedback on performance it’s important to document all your discussions, and ensure that any actions you take are in line with organisational policies. This can help protect you against false accusations of bullying, and make the investigation process easier and more straightforward if a situation is escalated.
If you have been accused of bullying at work, it’s important to follow company procedure and co-operate with any internal or external investigations. If you are accused of workplace bullying, even if you don’t believe it’s justified, it’s important to be open-minded and listen to the other person’s perspective. Here are a few suggestions to help you deal with an accusation of bullying or harassment without making the situation worse:
- Remain calm if someone approaches you about your behaviour. Although it can be extremely upsetting to be accused of bullying, getting angry will only aggravate the situation.
- If you believe that the accusations are false, speak to a senior level employee or your HR department. In many cases where bullying stems from a misunderstanding, the matter can be resolved with mediation from a third party
- Be prepared to change your behaviour or style of communication. It may be that a few modifications to your actions or manner of communication is all that’s needed to resolve the situation. It’s important not to get defensive and to stay open to any constructive feedback you receive.
With the recent increased awareness of workplace bullying, more employees are becoming aware of the ability to lodge a bullying complaint, especially if they feel they are likely to lose their job, or as a form of revenge against a supervisor.
To reduce the likelihood of false claims, it’s a good idea for managers to provide training to employees to help them distinguish between normal management direction and actions, and bullying. Many bullying claims are a result of misunderstandings or miscommunication and these can easily be prevented with the right training, clear expectations, performance indicators, and documentation of feedback and disciplinary actions taken against individuals.
False claims can be extremely distressing to the person who is wrongly accused of bullying, and can even be a form of harassment in themselves if they are taken out for malicious purposes.
Comments
No one is safe, no support.
The accuser has the upper hand"
I have been over every conversation I have had with this person and I just don't understand.
I am now scared to talk to any of the other people I manage for fear there will be more claims.
I am at a loss right now.
I am not sleeping properly, I am having nightmares, I saw her car in a shopping centre and kept looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn't bump into her; I didn't want her to add stalking to the list.
She is alleging things that happened in conversations where only her and I were present.
As a victim of bullying at different times of my life and it makes me sick to think someone thinks I am doing that to them.
I broke down at work and the person I was working with was so nice.
I can't concentrate properly and this is affecting my work.
I used to dread walking into work when I knew she was working and held my breath when I would see her pull up.
I love my job and really take my role as a manager seriously.
I want to support the staff and make sure they feel supported.
I just don't know what to do"
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However my attempts to communicate with the accuser has been met with put downs, shut downs and stark refusals to discuss the issue whether with myself or the alleged victims. The accuser is refusing to work with me and will do his absolute best to stop me working altogether.
While I am aware that I have the verbal reassurance and support of at least two managers including the senior team manager and two colleagues, the spotty history of management of the company leaves me wondering about the stability of my job."
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