Why All Proposed Workplace Anti-Bullying Laws Failed
- 10 years ago
According to a recent Fortune magazine article, bullying is a complex problem that could be best addressed by the employer instead of the legal system.
A 2012 CareerBuilder study showed 35 percent of employees experienced the stress of being bullied while at their workplace. Though anti-bullying bills have been repeatedly introduced since 2003, none have passed into law. According to a recent Fortune magazine article, bullying is a complex problem that could be best addressed by the employer instead of the legal system.
In 2013, federal government enacted a record-low number of laws, but state governments have stepped in to pass their own, including many that protect employees on topics varying from discrimination to payroll deductions.
Anti-bullying bills haven’t been among the passed laws primarily because bullying overall is only illegal if it involves crime or discrimination.
That’s because, especially in work environments, the definition of bullying is subject to individual beliefs and perceptions. At what point does raising your voice become yelling? Or at what point does a performance-based ultimatum become an intimidating threat?
The issue of power is key to bullying. Managers must have some level of power to do their jobs effectively. However under some proposed bills, employees who perform or behave badly could falsely claim that managers bullied them.
Bullying should not be accepted by any organization. Still ultimately, it’s the business or organization that’s responsible for training employees on proper conduct and holding people responsible for their words and actions.
A 2012 CareerBuilder study showed 35 percent of employees experienced the stress of being bullied while at their workplace. Though anti-bullying bills have been repeatedly introduced since 2003, none have passed into law. According to a recent Fortune magazine article, bullying is a complex problem that could be best addressed by the employer instead of the legal system.
In 2013, federal government enacted a record-low number of laws, but state governments have stepped in to pass their own, including many that protect employees on topics varying from discrimination to payroll deductions.
Anti-bullying bills haven’t been among the passed laws primarily because bullying overall is only illegal if it involves crime or discrimination.
That’s because, especially in work environments, the definition of bullying is subject to individual beliefs and perceptions. At what point does raising your voice become yelling? Or at what point does a performance-based ultimatum become an intimidating threat?
The issue of power is key to bullying. Managers must have some level of power to do their jobs effectively. However under some proposed bills, employees who perform or behave badly could falsely claim that managers bullied them.
Bullying should not be accepted by any organization. Still ultimately, it’s the business or organization that’s responsible for training employees on proper conduct and holding people responsible for their words and actions.