We understand that it can seem unfair when the label ‘bully’ crops up in the workplace – particularly when no harm was ever actually intended. We’re all aware of the importance of intent when we look at matters in the criminal space; without identifiable intent, any prosecution team certainly faces an uphill battle. […]
We know that for many employers, it can be rather challenging to face the complexities of work-related psychological injury claims. For decades, trip and fall incidents, burns, bending and other visible physical injuries all tended to dominate workplace safety concerns for both employers and insurers alike. Now, with medical advances drawing solid links between employment issues […]
Jill McMahon – Wednesday, June 08, 2016 While workplace corruption can take many forms, it can also exist in silence and censorship. A corrupt group of workers may keep silent about their activities, or they may impose silence or censorship on others to ensure that their conduct is not reported. This makes corruption very difficult […]
We’re all guilty of it: we ask a question that we don’t really expect to be answered in full. We’ve been socialised to do this; “how’s it going?” really means “I see you.” The usual answer “good” completes the interaction, but often isn’t even true! Investigators have to learn to listen. And listening well means […]
We see many cases where negative emotions arise at work. And it’s certainly not unusual for employees and employers to sprinkle angry discussions with yelling and/or expletives. Yet when does bad language warrant a strong reaction from the employer – or even dismissal? Two recent cases demonstrate that violent or offensive communication can certainly lead to […]
The saying “safety in numbers” can apply to so many situations. For example, a group of students may be more empowered than an individual to stand up to a school bully. Walking dark city streets with a group of people may be safer than walking alone. The list goes on. But the term can also […]
Teamwork. It can really lift the performance of an organisation. But what happens when employees use teamwork to act against an employer or other employees who refuse to engage in corrupt conduct? When employees start using their alliances and networks for corrupt activities, we have seen the concept of teamwork sour – and organisations […]
Sometimes you just can’t or shouldn’t conduct a misconduct investigation in-house. Where there are conflicts of interest or specialist skills required, organisations may be best suited to engaging the services of a private provider to obtain the information required for the business to make the right decisions. But how do you know if the […]
The larger the organisation, the greater the potential for bullying and harassment to become ingrained in workplace culture. When this happens, the victim can become the perpetrator, and the cycle continues. The situation may be made worse by management acquiescence, especially if the attitude is “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the […]
A quarter of Australian bosses are the targets of upward bullying according to a study conducted by Griffith University. Upward bullying occurs when a manager is subjected to bullying behaviour by their subordinates. Recent research presented at the 10th International Conference on Workplace Bullying in Auckland last week presented new research on the dynamics of […]