As we’ve been exploring in our four-part blog series examining factors that affect workers’ mental acuity including fatigue, distractions, stress, any mental stressor can divert attention from safety and be a contributing factor to workplace incidents and injury. Harassment and bullying are no less hazardous and can take many forms. 

Harassing someone with words or actions based on their identity including gender, religion, sexuality, race, age, and other protected categories, is prohibited by federal law  (Harassment | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). However, bullying (or mobbing) may be more subtle and more difficult to recognize.

I suffered a minor injury while working for a healthcare agency. To meet the unreasonable and persistent demands of a patient’s family, my department head pressured me into performing a patient transfer that was not safe. As you can imagine, it did not go well and required a patient incident report and a workplace injury report. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. However, upon further reflection, this situation could have resulted in significant monetary and personal consequences for all involved.  Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident either for me, or for others in the healthcare field. 

Workplace Bullying Institute defines bullying as “repeated, health-harming mistreatment by one or more employees of an employee: abusive conduct that takes the form of verbal abuse; or behaviors perceived as threatening, intimidating, or humiliating; work sabotage; or in some combination of the above.”  Einarsen and colleagues defines it as “harassing, offending, socially excluding someone or negatively affecting someone’s work tasks.”

Applying inappropriate pressure, such as demanding unattainable production rates, fostering mean-spirited competition, blaming others for mistakes, assigning tasks beyond someone's ability, authorization or qualifications, or mocking individuals who follow safety protocols, can constitute workplace bullying. Bullying can come from supervisors, co-workers, and employees and creates an unhealthy environment where employees are distracted from the task at hand leading to stress, fear, errors and injuries.

Studies into workplace bullying and harassment did not gain traction until the 1990’s. Workplace bullying, psychological hardiness, and accidents and injuries in nursing suggests that approximately 40% of healthcare workers experience harassment and bullying. This study includes a comprehensive review of studies that link these psychological stressors with workplace accidents and injuries, patient care errors, and even suicide. Other effects include sleep deprivation, distraction, and a depletion of workplace resources including a reduction in workforce. 

A 5-minute trainer from the National Safety Council cites a survey which found that 19% of workers in a variety of industries experience bullying in the workplace and suggest that “if a worker is made to feel inessential, he or she may be more likely to take shortcuts, overlook safety steps and become complacent, creating unnecessary risks” 

Bullying and harassment can discourage employees from speaking up about potential safety hazards and reporting incidents, which erode safety for everyone. It can escalate to physical violence with catastrophic consequences and, yes, we here at MEMIC have seen claims of this nature. It is traumatic for everyone involved.

Controlling harassment and bullying may seem difficult, but establishing systems to identify and respond to incidents is crucial. Leadership and management must set clear expectations, provide awareness training, implement a system of reporting, consistently respond to all incidents, and hold employees and leadership accountable. Anonymous tip lines and policies against retaliation for good faith reporting can improve communication and create a supportive environment. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) allow employees to develop psychological hardiness and decrease the effect of workplace stressors. 

The bottom line: creating an environment of mutual RESPECT in a healthy workplace reduces stress, improves job performance, and lowers the risk of both psychological and physical injuries which ultimately benefits employees and the organization alike. 

Additional resources:

• Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Theory, Research and Practice - Google Books
• About Workplace Violence | Violence | CDC

Related MEMIC resources: 

• Managing Safety Incentive Programs: The Right Way
• Better To Be Safe Than Sorry: Prepare to Handle Violence
• Celebrating a Safe and Neurodiverse Workforce
• The Soft Science of Safety Culture

Policyholders have access to sample policies and training documents in BLR’s HR Hero.

Posted BySusan Diffenderfer, PT, WCP®, ASC