The words “workplace bullying” were first coined by Andrea Adams, a British journalist and broadcaster, in 1989, after her radio broadcast, “An Abuse of Power,” was flooded with mail from listeners. The words first appeared in print in 1992 when Andrea published her book Bullying at Work: How to Confront and Overcome It. This year marks 34 years since the unnecessary and harmful abuse received by workers targeted by bullies at work was first identified.
I support targeted workers (Targets) and speak out to educate others on workplace bullying. I have done so since first being a bystander to bullying in a large Silicon Valley law firm in 1998. This event was so disturbing that it caused me to return to school to study the how and why of the bullying phenomenon in organizations. (Someone had died of natural causes off-duty, but a supervisor was being blamed for the death in order to ruin her chances for advancement.) Then, after I graduated with honors with a dual degree, I was bullied and blocked from working during the Great Recession by a renowned epidemiologist, then bullied again by my in-laws during graduate school, and then again as a freelance consultant. In each case, the relationship deteriorated from friendly and seemingly supportive to a living hell. Even though I repeatedly asked others for help, there was none available from those bystanders who could have done something to minimize the pain and financial damage by speaking out or admitting that they at least saw what was going on. Unfortunately, my story is not that unusual, and we need to work harder to change the ability of bystanders to feel safe to help others in this kind of distress.
Finding an attorney who understood the trauma and damage that I was facing was nearly impossible. Hardly anyone knew or understood what the problem really was, and two attorneys wanted to blame me for what had occurred. Other than Dr. Gary Namie, hardly anyone was talking about the issue in the United States, and most people did not understand it or the shame the abuser forced onto the Target. It was not until the California training law was passed in 2014, that I even dared to think I could talk about what had happened to me for fear of negatively branding myself. I am sure I was not alone in this predicament.
There are now employment attorneys who will defend the Target, and there is an increasing understanding of the damage that stress-related bullying does to the brain and the body. A mandatory training law exists in California, and there has also been a concerted effort to pass a psychological safety work bill in Massachusetts and Oregon. There is also increasing awareness and laws against childhood bullying – David’s law – SB 179 – was passed in Texas in 2017, and Alaska statutes 14.33.200-14.33.250 were signed into law in 2006.
Additional support groups have sprung up to help those being bullied. But most of all, groups of individuals, like the Workplace Bullying Institute, the International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment, the Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources, Dignity at Work, Academic Parity, #bulliedtoo, and others, are coming together to speak out against the abuse in the workplace that targets the best employees and the hardest workers. In other words, together, we have made progress. Those of us who have worked for and supported this progress need to take a moment to celebrate how far this issue has come from total obscurity.
Then, of course, we need to carry on with exposing the real irony – which is -- we still do not have a law or clear recourse against this devastatingly harmful behavior. The commonality of the abuse and the resultant damage – financial, emotional, and physical – are eerily similar in each and every case – no matter where the abuse occurs. Still, nothing is done by those in power who say they want engaged employees without doing anything to protect those who are already engaged. That lack of protection sends a very loud message to American workers. Even though we follow an individual social and political doctrine, by allowing this type of abuse to continue, we tell certain workers that they are not valued – no matter what they bring to the table, and we tell other workers that they will always be protected – no matter what harm and chaos they bring. And by unquestionably allowing this disrespect and lack of concern, we also ruin the American dream for those individuals who have worked hard to try to attain it.
We are moving forward from this month to year 35 in promoting workplace bullying awareness. Our numbers are growing, and our voices are getting louder every day. Those who are joining together to stand against this abuse need to be seen as the heroes they are. I applaud them all, and someday, their efforts to make things better for workers everywhere will be recognized and celebrated. Until then, I invite you to help us reach the finish line and embrace healthier and safer workplaces for everyone. Please write to your representative and ask for their support to prevent workplace bullying.