My name is Grant Saptoe and I am an HR Professional with more than 20 years of experience in the human capital management environment. I would like to share some thoughts on bullying for both the individual, and the organization, over a series of articles and experiences and welcome your thoughts and comments.

Workplace Wellness

How many of you know about workplace wellness and the benefits thereof for the organization and the individual?

More and more global employers recognise the benefits of investing in the wellness of their employees, same as most global employers. The benefits of wellness programs are becoming a strategic tool as it has a significant impact on business performance due to enhanced employee performance, morale, engagement, and branding.

Employees are healthier, absenteeism is decreasing, and work life balance is becoming increasingly important in a technologically disruptive era contributing to a more profitable and effective organization.

Barriers to Workplace Wellness

A big barrier to these well meaning initiatives by employers is called bullying in the workplace.

Most of us have been affected by bullying, possibly will be bullied, and know of someone that has been bullied. Bullying is so rife in organizations that it should be classified as a global workplace pandemic.

Bullying has been prevalent for many years across multiple industries, sectors, and corporations and saddest of all, is that most people do not speak up for fear of reprisal and humiliation. The perpetrator bullies and the victim shies away from the confrontation or when the victim speaks up, it is usually frowned upon by HR or the Senior Manager. The victim is made out to be unstable, a poor performer or generally a trouble maker and quickly terminated from the organization through either “performance management or retrenchment”.

Have you ever been shouted at in front of colleagues, belittled and made to feel incompetent due to someone possibly being a jerk? Yes, that is correct, someone being a jerk. We should all be aware of what bullying is, what harassment is and when someone is being a jerk. Have you ever been so humiliated, you did not know what to do, whom to speak to and started to doubt yourself?

How many of you have kept these emotions bottled inside and started unleashing the anger and emotion at your families and loved ones at home? How many of you have become less engaged, started resenting going to work, experienced anxiety and stress, become depressed and had declining health issues and possibly even felt suicidal?

How about working remotely and being bullied on a virtual platform. If your messenger icon is green your boss is happy and if it is red, you are shouted at for being away from your laptop for too long. These are the new bullying tactics and realities we must face.

Who do you speak to?

Workplace bullying is unacceptable in any shape or form and should be vehemently opposed by all Industry Leaders, HR professionals and staff in all organizations.

Bullying can be by a peer, or your manager but what is sad is that when you speak up nobody believes you. Who do you speak to when the bully is your manager? Can you speak to HR or should you even speak to HR about the situation……?