Having been bullied at work, I discovered the suggestion of moving on is not that easy.  After investing several years building up salary, skills, benefits and seniority moving into a “new” job has great professional and personal sacrifice.

Through my journey I found general opinion is the person being bullied should leave their job. I believe the opposite to be true.

The target should be encouraged to stay by business leaders. It’s the bully’s activities that affect business cost.

The company where my experience occurred had an anti-harassment policy; however the Senior Executive where the bullies. As a result, mid-level management remained silent, and some joined in believing it to be a valid part of the workplace culture.

My support system advised me to turn the other cheek and just leave.

I wanted to speak up and discuss the matter with the owner; who was the only senior person above the bullies.

Instead I took the advice to “move on”.  When others got fed up – they quit.

So not only did I suffer, but so did the company. They lost the time they invested on public relations, their business’ reputation and valuable human resources nurtured over many years. These disgruntled employees moved out to competitors with horror stories of their former work place.

I was a dedicated and hardworking employee who found it disheartening to realize there would be no improvement to the corporate culture. I stayed as long as I did because I thought a senior executive would stop the abuse.

I realize now that instead of leaving, I should have spoken to the owner. Since then I have dedicated myself to working with businesses to resolve interpersonal relationship issues.

I now coach that listening to defeatist advice does not elevate anyone’s character or aid in achieving business goals.

  


Article written by:

Tamara Parris, Business Genie.  Please twitter @business_genie or call 416-548-4237

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