Toxic Bosses and More on Workplace Bullies [Fast Company] Monday 04/12/04 10:57 PM
There are many anecdotes about bosses who rant and rave, insult and belittle employees in front of others, give employees the silent treatment, glare at them, spread false rumors, withhold information and take credit for employee's work. This kind of psychological violence often leaves employees physically and mentally weak.
Somewhere between 12% and 50% of workers are bullied. Both men and women do the bullying but 80% of bully victims are female. They tend to be women in their 40s with many years of work experience.
Why is bullying so ingrained in our workplace? It might be a matter of culture. We as a society value aggression, toughness and endurance to pain. In many ways these kinds of beliefs come close to endorsing the toxic boss. According to the author, it is time we recognized bullies not as strong, tough leaders but as abusers. The author suggests that as a society we must develop a language which allows us to communicate about the emotions that naturally develop in the course of business.
An attorney in California attempted unsuccessfully to introduce legislation that would make bullying behavior in the workplace illegal. In the UK some lawsuits against workplace bullies have succeeded. In the US, these kinds of toxic situations are generally labeled "personality conflicts" and there is no protocol with which to deal with them.
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