View from the Bridge: Do you have a bully in your midst?

A WORD FROM THE TOP

Recently we’ve seen an increase in the number of clients who are grappling with workplace bullying & harassment complaints. Bullies tend to be very toxic by nature and as a result they can turn a happy workplace culture into a dysfunctional toxic environment that can cause a variety of issues. These include absenteeism due to stress and anxiety, loss of productivity, loss of customers, employee turnover, and the list goes on. Below is a great article that clearly outlines the cost of a toxic employee.

While the cost of a toxic employee to your organization is serious enough, WorkSafe BC passed Bill 14 on November 1, 2013. This is a legislated directive that makes every organization responsible to take bullying and harassment seriously with three legally binding policies. Bill 14 requires all employers, managers and employees to operate under these guiding policies. Not only has this bill put into writing what we are required to do by law, it has also mandated every employer’s responsibility to take action.

Often when we start working with new clients we discover that many were not aware that they were required under the law to have an “Employer Duties – Workplace Bullying and Harassment” policy which includes the following required steps of action:

Develop and communicate a policy statement for your workplace that includes steps to prevent and minimize harassment and bullying.
Develop and implement a process and procedure for reporting and investigating incidents and complaints.
Develop training for all staff on what bullying and harassment is, how to prevent it, recognize and respond to it in the workplace. have a written policy on anti-bully & harassment. All employers are also required to ensure that every employee (whether they have 1 or 1,000) is required to undergo anti-bully & harassment training.
While there is no guarantee that having these 3 steps in place will eliminate bullying and harassment from your workplace, it sends a clear message to your employees that you take this very seriously. If you would like further information on how to develop an anti-bullying and harassment policy or if you require training for your staff please give us a call.

Warm regards,

Sandra Reder

President & Founder
Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting

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TOXIC WORKERS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE, BUT THE PRICE IS HIGH

Credit: TLNT, Dave Bookbinder

Rock Star employees make a huge positive impact and help to increase the valuation of the business. That’s why finding a Rock Star is the goal of every hiring manager. But is that really a good strategy? Should organizations be focused on the positive? Finding the Rock Stars? Or are they better served trying to avoid the negative?

This article is part of a series that is dedicated to exploring the contribution of human capital assets (people!) to the valuation of a business. If you’re just joining us, welcome to The New ROI: Return on Individuals.

In this article we explore “the dark side” and discuss the real cost of toxic employees.

It’s all about THEM

Toxic employees don’t care about a company’s goals, nor do they care about building relationships with co-workers. More than just self-centered office bullies, toxic employees are actually strategic and covert.

>> READ FULL ARTICLE