I decided to write a blog about workplace bullying to inform readers about the facts: what happened, how it was dealt with and the outcome. I wanted to enable readers to recognise the signs of workplace bullying if something similar happened to them. In my next post I hope to give people some skills in dealing with being bullied in the workplace. With hindsight, there are some things I would have done differently in order to achieve a better outcome.
In my own case the effects of being bullied have been permanent. For a start, I no longer have a steady job. I was content to do a job I knew I could do effectively and felt I was helping people. For me, the psychological contract was severely weakened over the last 5 years of my time with the organisation. Finally, it was severed and resignation became my only alternative.
In my years of working for this organisation I found the culture to be harsh and uncaring. I believe it is the same in the government department responsible for this organisation. There were some managers who seemed to care about their teams and were able to bring out the best in them . However, the ones who gained the most attention seemed to be concerned mainly with proving they were tough managers, covering their own backs and achieving their next promotion.
If I had been listened to initially and moved from the team I was so unhappy to be part of, it would have been easier to come to terms with what happened and put it behind me. As it was, I was forced to remain on the team and became more and more unhappy. I felt trapped in a situation I had not caused. After a few months, depression set in [for the first time in my life]. Although my then family doctor quickly arranged for counselling and then therapy, I still suffered from stress for a long period. Of course, I then discovered I had heart disease so the results were psychological and physical. There is currently no cure for the type of heart disease I have, it can only be managed with drugs and lifestyle.
As I said in my first post, after a period of time out of the main office, as soon as I had agreed to try working in the vicinity of the bullying manager I was ignored when I expressed my unhappiness at being there. I had been supported until someone had gained a promotion, after that I believe I had served my purpose and was of no value. My feelings were that I had worked hard and gained good results for the department, but no-one was then bothered sufficiently about my health and well-being to take action. Once again, I was trapped in a situation I could not get away from and the only escape possible was to hand in my resignation.
This whole experience has taught me quite a lot about workplace bullying and ways to deal with it, but this has unfortunately been retrospective. I have needed time for reflection. When the bullying started, I first of all relied on the trade union (to little avail) and later on simply gave up. Only when I resigned eventually did anyone start to think about the implications of what had happened.
I was amused to read the advice about workplace bullying from the Gov.UK Website.
“Bullying and harassment is behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended. Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.
Examples of bullying or harassing behaviour include:
- spreading malicious rumours
- unfair treatment
- picking on someone
- regularly undermining a competent worker
- denying someone training or promotion opportunities
Bullying and harassment can happen:
- face-to-face
- by letter
- by email
- by phone
Bullying itself isn’t against the law, but harassment is. This is when the unwanted behaviour is related to one of the following:
- age
- sex
- disability
- gender (including gender reassignment)
- marriage and civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sexual orientation
What employees should do if they’re bullied or harassed
Employees should see if they can sort out the problem informally first. If they can’t, they should talk to their:
- manager
- human resources (HR) department
- trade union representative
If this doesn’t work, they can make a formal complaint using their employer’s grievance procedure. If this doesn’t work and they’re still being harassed, they can take legal action at an employment tribunal.” https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment
Unfortunately, in my case this was not so helpful because it was my manager who was bullying me. His manager was not interested when I asked to be moved from the team as (without talking to me) she apparently decided I was not that bothered about it!
Effects of Being Bullied
Bullying is often seen as psychological harassment or violence. It can impact on the victim’s mental health and sense of well-being, as well as their identity, ego, and ability to withstand stress. The longer the exposure to bullying, the more severe the psychological impact. It can affect the victim’s physical and mental health.
Psychological-emotional injuries can include:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Clinical depression
- Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) from deliberate abuse
- Shame and humiliation (the result the bully wants)
- Sense of injustice (at the unfairness of being targeted, and the inadequacy of the employer’s response)
PTSD is the result of being traumatised by working conditions where there is little control. This can create an overwhelming threat to a person and severely damage their sense of security.
Its effects last long after removal from the damaging situation. Events that prevent the start of healing include fighting the employer, the tortuous multi-step grievance process dragged on by the employer, and lawsuits that can take years to complete.
There is also the problem of re-triggering the trauma, months or even years later. The victim may believe they are recovering then could, eg bump into former co-workers who failed to support them when they needed it most. Clearly, in a small town this is more likely to happen.
Sometimes, the anger can be turned inward and the victim may contemplate suicide. I did not but, by the first time I had moved away from the bullying manager, I had been diagnosed with heart disease so felt my life had potentially been shortened. Illnesses ranging from heart disease to gastrointestinal disorders can be caused by the stress of workplace bullying.
Bullying potentially poses legal liabilities to employers which can obviously be why they tend to deny it has happened.
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Long term trauma can cause symptoms that vary from PTSD. There may be changes to a person’s self image and ability to cope with stressful situations. During long-term traumas, people are held in physical and/or emotional captivity. They are under the influence of their abuser and unable to get out of the situation they are in (this is known as Complex PTSD). This is exactly how I felt during the initial period of bullying and the last few months of working for the organisation – when again I could not escape the situation.
In cases of Complex PTSD, if someone has been chronically bullied or abused, their symptoms can include:
- Persistent sadness, explosive anger; inhibited anger; suicidal thoughts;
- Reliving traumatic events. Feeling detached from one’s mind or body;
- Feelings of helplessness, shame, guilt and stigma. A person may feel that they are different to other people;
- Attributing total power to the abuser. Preoccupation with the perpetrator, possibly becoming obsessed with revenge;
- Social isolation, distrust in others; and
- A loss of faith or a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Before I resigned from the organisation, my then emergency contact was telephoned by my final manager, who of course subsequently denied doing this. This was actually a breach of confidentiality by the manager. Last year, an attempt to cause me serious harm was made. If the contact had not been made, I believe the dangerous situation would not have arisen. The women accompanying the person who I believe instigated this need to think about their motives and the implications of involving themselves. I recognised two of the voices but not the third. There may have been another person who did not speak. I refuse to waste my energy hating the two I definitely knew, I just feel sorry for their children. It seems that they may grow up believing it is ok to try to cause very serious harm to someone they hate.
Further threatening behaviour by another person occurred this year because of the bullying on social media (which I believe stemmed partly from the bullying manager and partly from the emergency contact).
I hold the organisation I worked for responsible for both these occurrences and this has led me to feel a sense of anger and injustice. This is because of the bullying which was sex and age discrimination, and subsequently victimisation. As well as the physical and psychological effects of being bullied, I have some symptoms of C-PTSD.
NEXT POST: ATTENTION-SEEKERS