Almost every working professional has witnessed or personally experienced the harmful effects of workplace bullying. As a manager or business owner, it’s important to recognize that workplace bullying is unacceptable in any form. If you want to learn ways to address a workplace bully, so you can help your team stay on track in a positive environment, then keep reading to learn what the experts at Prescott HR suggest.

Identify the Signs

There are very clear signs of a hostile work environment that managers or business owners need to be on the lookout for. Some examples of workplace bullying include:

• Excessive criticism of someone’s work or actions
• Excluding or isolating a team member
• Excessive micromanagement of a team member’s work
• Sending or posting harmful messages through team chats or emails
• In the worst cases, threats or intimidation tactics

If you suspect that there is a workplace bully within your organization, there are often signs that the affected employee will display in response to toxic work behavior. Here are reactions from employees that you should look out for to identify workplace bullying:

• Withdrawn or isolated behavior in reaction to a work conversation
• High employee turnover or excessive sick days
• A decline in work performance
• Emotional reactions to employee conversations, including crying or anxiety

Now that you understand the warning signs of a workplace bully, here are several ideas to remedy the situation:

Communicate Your Policies

As a leader, you should have a clear organizational policy that strictly enforces anti-bullying. Communicate your zero-tolerance approach to workplace bullying to your entire staff, so that everyone is on the same page about what kind of behavior is not accepted in the workplace.

Provide Anti-bullying Training

You can’t be everywhere all at once. Maybe workplace bullying is going on behind the scenes and you aren’t seeing it. That’s where training can help. Providing your staff with the tools and resources to recognize and report workplace bullying will help ensure that a problem is identified in a timely manner.

Investigate Thoroughly

If a team member comes forward with a complaint about another employee, take the issue seriously. We recommend conducting a thorough investigation of the claim by gathering all the facts, including feedback from witnesses. Conducting a thorough investigation of any and all issues sends the message that you value your team members’ well-being. 

Take Necessary Action

When you identify an issue with a workplace bully, it’s important to intervene right away. Set a time to meet with the employee who needs to correct their behavior as soon as possible. In that meeting, have an open conversation about what’s going on with them that is resulting in this negative type of behavior. Depending on the severity of the workplace bullying, you may need to consider stronger actions, like suspension.

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need help addressing workplace bullying? We are here to help. Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization nip this issue in the bud, so you can get back to important matters, like running your business. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with precisely what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.