Workplace Bullying Investigation & Mediation

Identifying Workplace Bullying

A common form of workplace conflict that employers encounter is bullying. Workplace bullying can be characterized as an unwanted, recurring aggressiveness that causes psychological and physical harm. It can create a psychological power imbalance between the bully and their victims.

As an employee, if you are experiencing or witnessing workplace bullying tell the person their behaviour is not acceptable. If you are not comfortable doing so alone, ask a supervisor or designated human resources officer to accompany you. Reporting the harassment to the person identified in your workplace policy, your supervisor, or a delegated manager is a great first step in properly managing this type of workplace conflict.

If you are an employer, ensure that you actively manage the workplace bullying to ensure that you are not fostering a hostile work environment. Global Mindful Solutions offers workplace mediation and resolution services in Ottawa. If bullying is occurring in your workplace, contact us today for more information on our conflict resolution services.

Two employees having a conversation in the workplace

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying can appear in many forms. Some examples of workplace bullying include:

- Offensive jokes that are spoken or included in emails
- Spying, stalking or pestering
- Spreading rumours, gossip or innuendo that is malicious
- Blocking off training, leave or promotions to prevent employees from moving up or growing within the company
- Tampering with personal belongings or equipment at work
- Physical or threatening abuse
- Intimidating employees
- Constantly changing work guidelines or expectations
- Yelling or using profanity
- Criticizing a person on a regular basis
- Belittling a person’s opinions
- Undeserved or unwarranted punishment
- Not assigning enough work to an employee to create a feeling of uselessness
- Unreasonable expectations or workload
- Withholding necessary information about projects or work
- Setting unrealistic deadlines
- Removing areas of responsibility without reason
- Undermining employees

To learn more about workplace bullying and how it can be resolved, contact Global Mindful Solutions today.

What impact can bullying in the workplace have on an individual?

The impact of bullying in the workplace on individuals can be both mental and physical and often include but are not limited to:

- Headaches
- Stress
- Tension
- Inability to concentrate
- Decrease in productivity
- Low morale
- Loss of appetite
- Inability to sleep
- Decrease in confidence
- Sense of vulnerability
- Feeling frustrated
- Feeling helpless

If you are feeling the negative impacts of workplace bullying and are looking for solutions to resolve this behaviour, contact Philippe Patry at Global Mindful Solutions today.

What are some tips for proper behaviour in the workplace?

There are many ways to encourage proper behaviour amongst employees and discourage bullying in the workplace including:

- Encourage a positive workplace and speaking to fellow employees in a respectful and professional way.
- Having clear set workplace policies for behaviour.
- Creating a reporting system for HR if there are any workplace bullying incidents.
- Educating yourself and your team on what constitutes workplace bullying.
- Educate your team on the negative impacts of workplace bullying.
- Properly training managers and supervisors on how to deal with any complaints or situations that may arise.
- Having a third party that you can reach out to for impartial resolution or mediation when necessary.

To learn more about setting policies in the workplace to prevent bullying contact Philippe Patry at Global Mindful Solutions today.

How can bullying affect the workplace?

Bullying can not only affect the individual victim, but also the overall health and wellness of the organizations.

Some ways that bullying can affect the workplace as a whole include:

- An increase in turnover
- An increase in absenteeism
- An increase in stress
- An increase in workplace incidents
- Higher costs for employee assistance programs
- Bad customer service or client experiences
- A decrease in morale
- A decrease in productivity and motivation
- Lower corporate image

To learn more about how bullying can affect the workplace, contact Global Mindful Solutions today.

My boss is bullying me, what should I do?

There are a few key steps to take if you feel that your boss is bullying you:

- Be confident, clear and specific with the situation at hand when communicating with your boss.
- Do not share these behaviours with your colleagues, this could make the situation worse.
- Keep a record of the bulling incidents, the time, dates and any witnesses that were present.
- Get outside help. After you confront your boss about their behaviour, if you find it continues it may be a good idea to seek professional help outside of the company.

To learn more about bullying in the workplace, contact Global Mindful Solutions today.

Common Forms of Workplace Bullying

Bullying can occur in the form of physical, verbal, social and online.

Physical bullying occurs when someone is using physical force or aggression against another person.
Verbal bullying happens when one person is using words to verbally attack someone.
Social bullying happens by hurting someone through purposeful exclusion or by spreading rumours.
Cyberbullying is when someone is using media to threaten, embarrass, intimidate or damage someone’s reputation.

Workplace bullying of any kind or severity should not be tolerated. Work with Global Mindful Solutions for expert mediation and resolution for workplace conflicts related to bullying.

Our Related Services

Global Mindful Solutions offers services that aim to provide workplaces in Ottawa with understanding
where issues may come from, how to solve them and how to move forward as a team.

Investigation

Protect your workplace from potential conflict, liabilities and other consequences. Learn more about Global Mindful Solutions’ workplace
investigation services.

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Mediation

Communicate in a respectful, honest, and confidential environment to work through workplace conflicts. Learn more about Global Mindful Solutions’ workplace mediation services.

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Restoration

Take the necessary steps to heal and establish a healthier workplace with communication skills training. Learn more about Global Mindful Solutions’ workplace restoration services.

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Take Action Today for a Brighter Tomorrow

“If you want peace, stop fighting. If you want peace of mind, stop fighting with your thoughts.”

Peter McWilliams