91视频

About 10 months ago, my wife came home and said something is wrong, our son doesn’t want to stay after school and play.

Initially, I thought nothing of it as he claimed it was because he liked our toilet paper more than the school’s toilet paper (fair argument). As time progressed, the desire to stay after school continued to drop, and his appearance looked disheveled, at best. My wife and I opted to volunteer at school and noticed signs of bullying happening to kids in his class. This discovery, and the lack of help received, led us to change schools.

Sadly, this is a story I’ve heard time and time again from my friends whose kids have dealt with in-person and online bullying.

Unfortunately, bullying does not stop when you graduate from school. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute nearly 80 million workers have been affected by workplace bullying. From that count:

• About 30 percent said they have personally experienced bullying, and an additional 19 percent said they have witnessed it.
• Remote workers were more likely to say they’ve been bullied (43 percent, with 50聽percent occurring during online meetings and 9 percent through email).
• Sixty-five percent identified their boss as being a bully, 21 percent said a coworker was a bully, and 14 percent said a subordinate was a bully.

To make matters worse, many stuck in this situation are unable to just 鈥渕ove away鈥� like we had the privilege of doing for my son. That begs the question, how can you overcome these sobering statistics? To help foster a healthy, safe and welcoming work environment, employers should consider creating robust policies that address abusive conduct. These policies provide concurrent benefits: (1) it strives to improve employee morale; and (2) it helps create a legal defense for when the bullying becomes illegal. (Any time that bullying relates to an employee’s protected characteristic, it could potentially lead to a claim under Title VII or other federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws.)

While employment laws are not general civility codes, employers can establish their own guidelines and expectations (just be sure these rules don’t run afoul of applicable employment and labor laws, like the National Labor Relations Act). Outlined below are seven steps that employers can take to go beyond just checking a box for legal compliance, to create a healthy, vibrant, productive workplace culture, which could increase employee retention.

Focus on the Big Picture: Prioritize structural and systemic prevention of bullying. Systemic prevention is the cornerstone of building and maintaining healthy organizations.

Define Clear Expectations: Establish policies that clearly outline acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Use real-life examples relevant to the workplace to ensure everyone understands the boundaries.

Consistency is Key: Inconsistent enforcement of policies can undermine morale and reduce their effectiveness. Moreover, failing to apply rules uniformly can expose employers to legal risks.

Invest in Training: Consider integrating anti-bullying measures into your existing harassment prevention programs. In some states, like California, this is not just recommended but required for employers with 50 or more employees.

Create a Reporting Process: Employees need to feel comfortable raising concerns. The EEOC and the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act emphasizes that employers should establish clear reporting channels and ensure that staff know who to contact when issues arise.

Investigate Complaints Promptly and Thoroughly: Take every complaint seriously. Assign experienced personnel or teams to handle investigations, ensuring that all concerns are addressed with the appropriate level of care.

Regularly Assess Company Culture: Conduct ongoing evaluations of the organizational culture. This proactive approach can help detect early signs of toxicity, allowing for timely intervention.

As parents, my wife and I were fortunate enough to have the option to remove our son from a problematic environment and place him in a safer space where he has thrived. However, I recognize that for many, particularly in the workplace, this is not a viable solution. The pain of bullying, whether on the playground or in the office, can leave deep scars that affect a person’s well-being and expose companies to lawsuits.

By implementing these steps, employers can create a workplace where individuals feel valued and protected 鈥� a place where our children, as they grow into their careers, won’t have to relive the same painful experiences we hoped they would leave behind. But taking that first step is the key to building a culture of respect that endures, from the classroom to the boardroom.

Stephen Scott is a partner in the Portland office of Fisher Phillips, a national firm dedicated to representing employers’ interests in all aspects of workplace law. Contact him at 503-205-8094 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.