Bullying isn’t limited to the playground. The same culture of fear and domination by bullies can be found in too many workplaces. Bullying at work can take obvious forms such as shouting at colleagues, hurling insults and outright sabotaging their work. It can take more subtle forms like talking behind someone’s back, starting false rumours, engaging in reputation demolition, and making consistently degrading, demeaning or insulting comments. What should you do if you’re getting bullied in the workplace?
Set Emotional Boundaries
Setting emotional boundaries is something you can do to protect yourself. You can acknowledge that the person is a bully and then set emotional boundaries that protect you from the worst of the aftermath. Don’t engage in drama or get caught up in the drama created by others. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s bad behaviour. Cultivate allies at work so you can find support when dealing with difficult situations. Maintain a degree of emotional distance when the bully is yelling or acting out, recognising that it is them, not you. If they say things that are out of line, ask them to justify what they said.
Gather Evidence
If you’re dealing with a consistent pattern of bullying behaviour, collect evidence. Take notes of what they did that was considered offensive or insulting. Gather emails or other records that are evidence of the behaviour you’re seeking to address. Then talk to Human Resources or that person’s boss about the issue. Where applicable, talk to your trade union. If you have evidence and facts on your side, it doesn’t come across as tattling.
Start Your Own Business
If you can’t handle a toxic workplace, one of the best choices you can make is considering starting your own business, especially one that lets you be your own boss without having to invest much capital. Why would you consider starting a business? There’s no need to have interviews with dozens of firms hoping to get a job and explaining why you left. People will know why you left – you started your own business.
Working as a landscape gardener, for example, has a number of advantages. You don’t need formal qualifications. This job is one that lets you get to work quickly, especially during the warmer months. It could tide you over until you find a new job, supplement your part-time income, or become a full-time job in and of itself. You just need a number of tools, some of which you may find in your shed or garage. Don’t forget the personal protective equipment. You’ll also want to get the legal side sorted out and secure insurance.
You may need to rent or buy heavy equipment such as mowers; this is crucial to working efficiently when dealing with large areas. Power tools like thermal leaf blowers featured on souffleurthermique.fr make the work faster and easier. If you have tools like these, you could finish the work in a third to half the time, allowing you or your crew to double or triple the billable work they finish each day.
There are a number of ways to deal with bullying, and you can take it to the next level of management if necessary. However, sometimes the only option is to leave and turn over a new leaf in life.
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