On 4 November 2009, The People Bulletin reported on the bullying behaviour of France Telecom managers in ‘Workplace stress finds its way into suicide notes’ three days before the National Ban Bullying Day At Work on 7 November. Our report included a quote from the National Bullying Helpline website and listed the charity as source of further support. It reassures potential callers: ‘The National Bullying Helpline is just a single phone call away, so if you feel that you are being bullied through the process, in any way' give us a call -in complete confidence.’
By 22 February 2010, the helpline had lost four of its patrons and found itself in the centre of a political storm when it revealed to the press it had received calls from 10 Downing Street staff. In other words, confidentiality had been breached to make a political point – the charity is now being investigated by the Charity Commission.
One of the patrons was Professor Cary Hooper, of Robertson Cooper Ltd and professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University. He told The People Bulletin:
‘The allegations of bullying at No. 10 and my resignation from the helpline have raised two separate issues - the breach of confidentiality and the complexities of dealing with bullying itself. I can’t stress enough that confidentiality is key in this context, so when that was compromised I had no choice but to take that course. I was quickly followed by the other patrons who I suspect reached the same conclusion. Confidentiality must always be guaranteed for the victim – but should also stand for the alleged accused. I believe that a helpline in this arena, however, is necessary because so many people are worried and concerned about approaching HR or other senior managers about being bullied, for fear that it will adversely affect their career or job security.
‘The news has moved on now and the spotlight should be on the wider questions of why bullying happens and how organisations and individuals deal with it. My research with Dr. Helge Hoel of Manchester University, for the British Occupational Health Research Foundation, confirmed the detrimental impact that bullying can have on an individual’s well-being. When this causes increased sickness absence and reduced productivity, its negative impacts extend further into the performance of the organisation. Bullying can take a variety of forms, from constant fault-finding, unmanageable workloads and unachievable deadlines to actual physical and psychological abuse. In all of these cases having someone to turn to is critical, whether that is a helpline, your HR department or senior management – and those conversations must be 100% private. I hope that the events of last week do not mean people are unwilling or unable to access the support that is available to them.’
Brian Rogers at law firm Lewis Hymanson Small explained the legal position facing HR managers having to deal with reports of workplace bullying:
‘Reports of workplace bullying have doubled in the last ten years and the recession has put extra pressure on managers and bosses to get results meaning they may act in a way that is out of character. It can be hard to know where the line is drawn between having an assertive boss that is under pressure and one that is a bully. If one of your colleagues complains about being humiliated and offended by a personal attack about your personal traits then it is likely they are being bullied. Bullying can be physical or verbal.
‘As HR managers you and your organisation have a duty of care towards your employees and the law is on their side. If the treatment takes the form of race, sex or disability discrimination, an employee could bring a claim to an employment tribunal against your employer, your boss or both. If they are forced to resign due to bullying, they could make a constructive dismissal claim. Despite the fact that they run the risk of huge compensation claims, we come across businesses every day that are falling foul of the law.
‘If one of your colleagues is being bullied, tell them to keep a diary of dates, times, places and details of incidents, including the names of any witnesses. This will serve as evidence if you decide to make a formal complaint to your employer or take the case to court.’
The fine line between ‘robust leadership’ and bullying was highlighted by AN Wilson on 23 February in his provocative Daily Mail article ‘Sorry bullies often make the best leaders’
A rather more considered approach is taken by Daniel Elash PhD in his 2004 paper ‘When the boss is a bully’1. He observes: ‘Not everyone in a leadership role is a good leader. Some people abuse their power simply because they can. These people are bullies. Bullying happens in the work place. A bully in a position of authority can make life miserable for his or her victims. Bullying is a sign of emotional immaturity in a leader. Even if you have made a mistake or fell short of your goals, bullying is different from constructive criticism. Bullying seeks to hurt or punish. It isn’t aimed at improving performance.
Companies that tolerate bullies in the management ranks are going to remain sub- optimized. Because bullying doesn’t correct underlying problems, other frustrations will arise and those too will be met with abusive reactions. It is a no win situation.’
The other important thing to remember about tackling workplace bullying is that no telephone helpline or employment assistance scheme will actually root out the problem. With all the right confidentiality safeguards in place, these schemes can have a positive impact on absence and general well-being, but unless the behaviour at the top is tackled, the symptoms will not go away – as France Telecom found to its cost.
[1] www.leader-values.com/Content/detail.asp?ContentDetailID=338