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Workplace bullying is a pervasive issue that affects countless individuals. It comes in the form of harassment that can have severe consequences on the victims involved.
Workplace bullying refers to any repeated, intentional mistreatment of an employee by their colleagues or superiors. This mistreatment takes various forms, verbal abuse, humiliation, exclusion, and physical intimidation. The impact of workplace bullying on a victim’s mental and physical well-being cannot be overstated.
An example of toxic work environment is lack of respect and empathy among colleagues. It creates an atmosphere where bullying thrives. When there is power imbalance, where a group or a superior dominates in decision making in a way that disadvantages the subordinates, it depicts bullying. Superiors who abuse their authority may target subordinates, making them feel powerless, vulnerable and invalid always.
Chelsea is a graduate who has been combing every nook and cranny of Accra searching for a job. She had her eyes on a reputable organization which she admitted ‘’is far beyond my reach’. One day, during her regular job hunting, she met a wonderful fellow, who with a blink of an eye, landed Chelsea her dream job, ‘’olala!!! what a sigh of relief, this is a timely intervention,’’ she proclaimed, unconsciously alerting all those around her about her excitement. The new employee went through induction successfully and was ushered to her department.
Events took a different turn on the first day, much to her surprise. Her Boss Sandy, was an enemy in disguise or her tormentor, so to speak. Women are indeed their own enemies. Her sinister looks tell she had a masterplan under her sleeve. Apparently, she had reserved the position for her best friend’s daughter. You can just imagine Chelsea’s ordeal. Sandy’s orders versus employer’s son orders who go win? Chelsea had become a thorn in Sandy’s flesh without knowing.
Chelsea, as sweet as her name sounds, had a fair smooth skin, a pretty face and long black wispy tresses. Her torso is roundish, which dovetails into a guitar shape, amazing legs like those of barbie dolls, complemented with a heavy back defence, tiny waist and fine hips. Her beauty was that type that demanded second look. No doubt she was peng.
Her boss sensed Chelsea had something going with the CEO’s son. Her assumption was wavering. As the saying goes, some women cannot stand others’ beauty. Chelsea was so excited about her new role. However, she soon realized that her boss, Sandy has a habit of belittling and criticizing her in front of her colleagues. She would often pass sarcastic comments about her work and publicly humiliate her during team meetings.
Chelsea felt demoralized and anxious, which affected her performance. She personally felt like talking to the CEO’s son, but envisaged her woes. That will give vent to speculations, so she kept hoping against hope that things will change.
Chelsea attempted to address her displeasure by discussing the issue instead. Sandy dismissed her concern and continued her bullying behaviour. Having become fed up, Chelsea reported to the Human Resource Manager, hoping for a resolution. However, the HR Manager failed to take action, claiming that Sandy’s behavior was just a management style. This affected Chelsea’s mental well-being – she felt demoralized and anxious. The lack of support from both Sandy and the HR exacerbated the situation, leaving Chelsea helpless.
Victimized subordinates like Chelsea may often experience high levels of distress, anxiety, and depression. One cannot fathom how traumatic this experience can be, waking up everyday to put up with something suicidal as this, with no option left. Worse still, job hunting is ‘wahala’ in this part of the world.
A lady friend was victimized because she turned down her male boss’s proposal for intimate relationship. She declining his move was like crossing path with the devil. She never enjoyed her workplace. Any thought of her workplace brings chills down her spine. She was excluded in meetings, she became an errand girl for her office, she was so belittled that she lost herself-confidence.
She was advised to appeal to Management to reassign her to another department, but her boss had vowed to distress her. She later gave up the job, but it left a scare on her mind- she is still battling to regain her self-confidence. Her colleagues, who witnessed all that was happening, instead of helping her, rather aggravated the situation.
Both her superior and colleagues did not respect and show empathy. Management on the other hand, refused to investigate her reasons for requesting a change in department. Instead, they sided with her boss.
Such incidents happen in various organizations, which results in physical symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, and even cardiovascular problems. Victims may not realize, instead they may resort to painkillers which endangers them more. A danger foreseen is half avoided. It must be tackled from the root. A candid advice is to end that career now. Having an inferiority complex or being paranoid leads to decreased job satisfaction and reduced productivity, hence deadlines are not met.
To combat workplace bullying, there must be measures to guide employees on appropriate behaviours. It is also essential to establish a safe reporting system where victims can confidently report incidents without fear of retaliation. Additionally, fostering a culture or respect and inclusivity within the workplace can help prevent bullying from occurring in the first place.
In conclusion, workplace bullying is a serious issue that affects peoples’ well-being and productivity. Making the environment conducive, serene, and blissfull to belong, can prevent this hazard. Creating a supportive work environment where bullying is not to be tolerated is essential for overall success and positivity.
By Tenisha Darryl-Lartey
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