Bullying

“The term “bullying“ is referring to a conflict escalation at work, characterized by the postponement of power to the disadvantage of one party. The conflict party is exposed to systematic hostile attacks for a longer period of time. These attacks occur frequently and can lead to significant individual and operational damages.”¹

Legally speaking

Bullying can be prosecuted by criminal law, civil law, service law and employment law, respectively. Accusations must be provable and transparent for successful law enforcement (e.g. witnesses, letters, e-mails, medical reports, mobbing diary).

Acts of bullying²

• Limitation of somebody’s possibilities to communicate (e.g. restriction of the possibility to express oneself, constant interruptions, permanent criticism, harassment by telephone, threats, refusal of possibilities to contact somebody)

• Assaults on somebody’s social relationships (e.g. not talking to the person concerned, relocation in a distant room, cutting somebody dead)

• Assaults on somebody’s social prestige (e.g. talking badly about the person concerned, spreading rumours, mocking, taunting)

• Assaults on the quality of somebody’s professional and personal situation (e.g. assigning no work tasks at all, assigning useless work tasks or tasks demanding too little/too much)

• Assault on somebody’s health (e.g. forcing somebody to fulfil health-threatening tasks, use of violence, infliction of material damages)

How to prevent bullying

• Individual prevention measures possible:^₃ Strengthening your conflict management skills, reflecting your individual role in the conflict, addressing the conflict frankly and honestly, accepting offers of assistance in case of escalation.
• Operational prevention measures possible: Making work organisation transparent, reducing excessive or insufficient challenge over a longer period of time, counselling, coaching, management training, trainings of the ability to deal with conflicts, raising awareness of the problem of bullying, using methodology for observing the situation.⁴
  Informing staff (general awareness), collecting information among staff (lending a sympathetic ear), informing managing directors (qualification), business structures against bullying (e.g. improving the complaint system).⁵

Taking action⁶

The following advice might be helpful in dealing with the situation:

• Give priority to solving the problem of bullying
• Take courage – You can do something against the bullying
• Look for conversational partners and allies
• Assess the usefulness of (well-meant) advice for yourself
•  Get professional help
• Take your time – don’t necessarily expect a quick solution
• Analyse the problem thoroughly
• Strengthen your body and mind
• If possible, reduce the dependence on the bully – do not expect the bully’s understanding and goodwill (this creates dependence and makes you susceptible to manipulation), focus on stopping the acts of bullying instead
• Develop your own strategy

^{1 cf. Kolodej, Mobbing, Psychoterror am Arbeitsplatz und seine Bewältigung 2, Wien, 2005, 24.
2 cf. Kolodej, Mobbing, 43ff.
3 cf. Kolodej, Mobbing, 149f.
4 cf. Kolodej, Mobbing, 150-167.
5 cf. Esser/Wolmerath/Niedl, Mobbing. Der Ratgeber für Betroffene 1, Wien, 1999, 95f.
6 cf. Esser/Wolmerath/Niedl, Mobbing, 39-47.}

Source of information and more details: AKGL-Brochure (p. 8-9)