Work Place Bullying and Disruptive Behavior

1.

Workplace bullying often involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying behavior creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target and undermines an individual’s right to dignity at work.

True

False

2.

Bullying is the same as aggression.

True

False

3.

Some bullying situations involve employees bullying their peers, rather than a supervisor bullying an employee. The term mobbing refers to a group of coworkers targeting another worker. Supervisors should intervene immediately to address and stop mobbing behaviors.

True

False

4.

The following are some of the examples of Bullying:

Unwarranted or invalid criticism
Blame without factual justification
Being treated differently than the rest of your work group
Being sworn at Exclusion or social isolation
Being shouted at or being humiliated
Excessive monitoring or micro-managing
Being given work unrealistic deadlines

True

False

5.

Corporate/institutional bullying occurs when bullying is entrenched in an organization and becomes accepted as part of the workplace culture.

True

False

6.

Victims of bullying can experience some of the following physical and mental health problems:

High stress; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Financial problems due to absence
Reduced self-esteem
Musculoskeletal problems
Phobias
Sleep and digestive disturbances
Increased depression/self-blame
Family tension and stress

True

False

7.

Bullying can be very costly for the organization. Costs of bullying generally fall into three categories:

Replacing staff members that leave as a result of being bullied, cost of training new employees.
Work effort being displaced as staff cope with bullying incidents (i.e., effort being directed away from work productivity and towards coping)
Costs associated with investigations of ill treatment and potential legal action.

True

False

8.

The following is what can be done against bullying.

Regain control by:

Recognizing that you are being bullied;
Realizing that you are NOT the source of the problem; and
Recognizing that bullying is about control, and therefore has nothing to do with your performance.

Take action by:

Keeping a diary detailing the nature of the bullying (e.g., dates, times, places, what was said or done and who was present); and
Obtaining copies of harassing / bullying paper trails; hold onto copies of documents that contradict the bully’s accusations against you (e.g., time sheets, audit reports, etc.).

Other actions:

Expect the bully to deny and perhaps misconstrue your accusations; have a witness with you during any meetings with the bully; report the behavior to an appropriate person.

True

False

9.

The following is some of the steps that an employer can take in preventing bullying.

Create a zero tolerance anti-bullying policy. This policy should be part of the wider commitment to a safe and healthful working environment and should have the full support of top management;

When witnessed or reported, the bullying behavior should be addressed IMMEDIATELY;
If bullying is entrenched in the organization, complaints need to be taken seriously and investigated promptly. Reassignment of the bully may be necessary;
Structure the work environment to incorporate a sense of autonomy, individual challenge/mastery, and clarity of task expectations for employees – Include employees in decision-making processes;
- Hold awareness campaigns for EVERYONE on what bullying is. Encourage reporting;
- Ensure management has an active part in the staff they supervise, rather than being far removed from them;
- Encourage open door policies;
- Investigate the extent and nature of the problem. Conduct employee attitude surveys;
- Improve management’s ability and sensitivity towards dealing with and responding to conflicts; and
- Establish an independent contact for employees (e.g., Human Resources contact)

True

False

10.

The following are not disruptive behavior and is part of everyday normal at the work place

Profane or disrespectful language;
Sexual comments, racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic slurs;
Inappropriate touching or assault, angry outbursts or yelling, name calling;
Throwing charts or instruments;
Disrupting meetings;
Comments that undermine a patient’s trust and confidence;
Refusal to complete a task or carry out duties;
Intentional failure to follow organizational policies; and
Retaliation against any person who has reported disruptive behavior.

True

False

Work Place Bullying and Disruptive Behavior - Quiz

Quiz Question

1.	Workplace bullying often involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying behavior creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target and undermines an individual’s right to dignity at work.
		True
		False
2.	Bullying is the same as aggression.
		True
		False
3.	Some bullying situations involve employees bullying their peers, rather than a supervisor bullying an employee. The term mobbing refers to a group of coworkers targeting another worker. Supervisors should intervene immediately to address and stop mobbing behaviors.
		True
		False
4.	The following are some of the examples of Bullying: Unwarranted or invalid criticism Blame without factual justification Being treated differently than the rest of your work group Being sworn at Exclusion or social isolation Being shouted at or being humiliated Excessive monitoring or micro-managing Being given work unrealistic deadlines
		True
		False
5.	Corporate/institutional bullying occurs when bullying is entrenched in an organization and becomes accepted as part of the workplace culture.
		True
		False
6.	Victims of bullying can experience some of the following physical and mental health problems: High stress; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Financial problems due to absence Reduced self-esteem Musculoskeletal problems Phobias Sleep and digestive disturbances Increased depression/self-blame Family tension and stress
		True
		False
7.	Bullying can be very costly for the organization. Costs of bullying generally fall into three categories: Replacing staff members that leave as a result of being bullied, cost of training new employees. Work effort being displaced as staff cope with bullying incidents (i.e., effort being directed away from work productivity and towards coping) Costs associated with investigations of ill treatment and potential legal action.
		True
		False
8.	The following is what can be done against bullying. Regain control by: Recognizing that you are being bullied; Realizing that you are NOT the source of the problem; and Recognizing that bullying is about control, and therefore has nothing to do with your performance. Take action by: Keeping a diary detailing the nature of the bullying (e.g., dates, times, places, what was said or done and who was present); and Obtaining copies of harassing / bullying paper trails; hold onto copies of documents that contradict the bully’s accusations against you (e.g., time sheets, audit reports, etc.). Other actions: Expect the bully to deny and perhaps misconstrue your accusations; have a witness with you during any meetings with the bully; report the behavior to an appropriate person.
		True
		False
9.	The following is some of the steps that an employer can take in preventing bullying. Create a zero tolerance anti-bullying policy. This policy should be part of the wider commitment to a safe and healthful working environment and should have the full support of top management; When witnessed or reported, the bullying behavior should be addressed IMMEDIATELY; If bullying is entrenched in the organization, complaints need to be taken seriously and investigated promptly. Reassignment of the bully may be necessary; Structure the work environment to incorporate a sense of autonomy, individual challenge/mastery, and clarity of task expectations for employees – Include employees in decision-making processes; Hold awareness campaigns for EVERYONE on what bullying is. Encourage reporting; Ensure management has an active part in the staff they supervise, rather than being far removed from them; Encourage open door policies; Investigate the extent and nature of the problem. Conduct employee attitude surveys; Improve management’s ability and sensitivity towards dealing with and responding to conflicts; and Establish an independent contact for employees (e.g., Human Resources contact)
		True
		False
10.	The following are not disruptive behavior and is part of everyday normal at the work place Profane or disrespectful language; Sexual comments, racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic slurs; Inappropriate touching or assault, angry outbursts or yelling, name calling; Throwing charts or instruments; Disrupting meetings; Comments that undermine a patient’s trust and confidence; Refusal to complete a task or carry out duties; Intentional failure to follow organizational policies; and Retaliation against any person who has reported disruptive behavior.
		True
		False