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Workplace Bullying: “It can begin and end with you.”

10/14/2016

​By Sharon Renee Taylor

WRNMMC Public Affairs Staff Writer

​The school yard isn’t the only place where bullies can be found—they’re in the workplace, too.   

A 2014 survey conducted by the World Bullying Institute found 35 percent of the U.S. workforce (an estimated 53.5 million Americans) report being bullied at work; an additional 15 percent witness it.
The survey also found women bullies target women in 80 percent of cases. In 2012, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff now retired Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said all service members have a personal responsibility to intervene in and stop any occurrences of hazing or bullying.
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions.
The APA added, the bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to “cause” the bullying.
“There’s not a single psychological explanation for why people engage in bullying behaviors at work or elsewhere,” explained U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. (Dr.) Arlin Hatch, a clinical psychologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC).
Bullies in the workplace do so for a variety of reasons: as a form of hazing a new employee, as a way to exert power, control over others, or to get their way, he said.
Anyone can be a bully in the workplace, although the impact of bullying can intensify when it comes from a person with positional authority, Hatch said.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identifies four types of workplace violence. In health care settings, Type I violence occurs less frequently compared to other types of violence.
In Type 1 violence there is criminal intent, the perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the business or its employees, and is usually committing a crime in conjunction with the violence (robbery, shoplifting, trespassing). An example of Type 1 violence would be a nurse assaulted in the hospital parking garage.
Type 2 violence is the most common in health-care settings, according to the CDC. Frequently seen in emergency and psychiatric treatment settings, waiting rooms, along with geriatric settings, the patient attacks the health-care worker.
Type 3 workplace violence is worker-on-worker, also known as lateral or horizontal violence. This is verbal or emotional abuse that is unfair, offensive, vindictive or humiliating. Not limited to co-workers, this violence can occur between a supervisor to employee, doctor to nurse, senior nurse to new nurse or peer-to-peer.
In Type 4 violence, the perpetrator has a personal relationship to the employee outside of work that spills over to the work environment. For example, the husband of a nurse follows her to work, orders her home and threatens her, with implications for not only this nurse but also for her coworkers and patients.
 “Bullying within an organization can negatively impact [overall] health and well-being, contributing to symptoms of stress or depression, and can result in increased absenteeism, workforce turnover, and related decreased productivity,” Hatch said.
Workplace bullying can also affect a medical center’s Joint Commission accreditation. The organization that surveys health-care facilities for safe and effective care, The Joint Commission indicates intimidating and disruptive behavior among colleagues can foster medical errors and contribute to poor patient satisfaction and other wise preventable adverse outcomes.
“Those who are bullied are afraid,” said Clodeth C. Findlay, chief for Personnel, Defense Health Agency, National Capital Regional Medical Directorate (NCR-MD). “They don’t feel empowered, or have any power.”
Findlay said it’s important for all employees to feel safe at work.
For that reason she initiated research and a workgroup to build a workplace violence program for the NCR-MD, which includes WRNMMC, Joint Base Andrews (Md.), Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (Va.), and outlying clinics throughout the region.
The program is slated to begin at Walter Reed Bethesda this month. It will support Department of Defense Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Policy.
The personnel chief said it was important to establish the workplace violence prevention program to focus on patients and maintain a safe, productive staff.
Dr. Joan Gordon serves as the manager for the Workplace Violence Prevention Program for NCR-MD. Workplace violence “can start and end with one word,” she said. “It can begin and end with you.” Gordon said say something before the situation escalates.
“It’s very prevalent but people don’t talk about it,” Gordon explained. She said she believes many people hold things in but should release it as soon as possible.
If you’re bullied at work, the Workplace Violence Prevention Program manager recommends:
1. Protect yourself. If you feel safe enough, clearly communicate to the person doing the bullying that all people should be treated with respect and not feel as though they have been bullied.  Suggest there are ways to communicate effectively in a positive manner. 
 
2. Advise your supervisor. If a person in a leadership role is bullying, then inform your chain.  If you need to reach out to other resources, contact Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), the Inspector General, or the NCR-MD Workplace Violence Prevention Program on the website www.capmed.mil under the Employee Services tab.
 
3. Document. Carefully document what happened, when it occurred, and who engaged in the behavior to help leadership to appropriately address the behavior.
 
4. Speak-up. If you witness someone else being bullied, speak-up or inform leadership so that the behavior can be dealt with appropriately.
 
5. Manage Stress. If the bullying causes significant distress or problems functioning at home, work, or socially, consider contacting a Behavioral Health provider to help you heal. 
Integrated Health and Wellness Services at WRNMMC include behavioral health consultants who are able to help manage stress and anxiety or depression. The service also offers classes such as relaxation, guided imagery and yoga, most available to Walter Reed staff, civilian employees and contractors.
 
The Resiliency and Psychological Health Service team can meet with Walter Reed Bethesda staff members for one-on-one resilience coaching to help individuals adaptively manage challenges and enhance resilience. The Employment Assistance Program, also known as EAP, offers civilian staff members six free sessions per problem, to discuss many different workplace issues. EAP services are voluntary, confidential, and provided at no cost to the employee.  Active duty service members can contact a Military and Family Life Consultant.
Service members wishing to request resiliency and psychological health services, call 301-400-1974. For Integrated Health and Wellness, call 301-295-0105 to make an appointment. Reach EEO at 301-400-3312. For information about the WRNMMC workplace violence program, call 301-319-3817. Connect with Military and Family Life Counseling on the web at http://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/mflc.