Manager Guidelines To Detecting Intimidating Behavior in the Workplace

With almost six in ten people experiencing some sort of workplace bullying or harassment, it’s clear that this issue is by no means uncommon. Sadly, though, intimidating workplace behavior still goes largely unreported, as the victims fear retaliation or feel that the support system is lacking. Instead, they keep their heads down and endure it or look for opportunities to change their workplace.

Unfortunately, many employers feel that workplace bullying isn’t their problem — they are there to run a company, not solve personal issues between employees. That’s far from the truth, though. Workplace bullying can affect your business in many ways, lowering employees’ morale, creating a toxic working environment, and even damaging your reputation. In the worst-case scenario, it could escalate to serious harassment and lead to lawsuits.

So instead of turning a blind eye and letting things fester, you should address inappropriate workplace behavior as soon as you spot it. And the quicker you notice it, the better. That’s not always easy, though. Hence, we’ve created a guide to help you detect and deal with workplace bullying and harassment.

What Counts As Workplace Harassment?

Workplace bullying and harassment can come in different forms, some quite obvious and others more subtle. As a manager, you should know what they both entail, as well as how to recognize them. They include: 

●      Verbal harassment: insults, slurs, unwarranted criticisms, offensive gestures, taunting, bullying veiled as jokes

●      Psychological harassment: making impossible demands, taking credit for another person’s achievements, and giving an employee demeaning tasks.

●      Cyberbullying: spreading rumors online, creating websites and pages dedicated to mocking and belittling, and making false allegations

●      Sexual harassment: unwanted touching, asking for sexual favors, vulgar gestures, sending obscene videos and messages

●      Physical harassment: threats, physical assaults, damaging property, improper touching of clothing and skin.

How To Spot Intimidating And Unsafe Workplace Behavior

1. Keep An Eye Out For Certain Behaviors

Bullying and intimidation in the workplace aren’t always easy to spot — perpetrators often use subtle tactics that allow them to fly under the radar. Still, any sort of workplace harassment leaves some mark that a trained eye should be able to spot. The most important thing is to be aware of your workplace’s typical dynamics, as that would allow you to notice any potential changes.

If there is some form of bullying or intimidation going on at your workplace, you might spot the following signs:

●      A general shift in certain employees’ moods — they might become more withdrawn or frequently absent from work

●      Tension and lack of productivity

●      Gossip, jokes, or mockery targeted at a specific employee

●      Personal arguments that exceed simple workplace disagreements

●      Rumors about potential harassment circulating among the employees

Even if some of these behaviors and signs don’t seem particularly concerning at first glance, it’s always better to investigate them. The victim may not feel comfortable approaching you with their issues, but your interest in the situation could encourage them. In addition, you’ll show your entire staff that you take these matters seriously and won’t tolerate any harassment.

2. Train Your Staff To Detect Harassment

While you may not be aware of everything going on with your employees, they certainly are. As such, they represent a valuable source of information — as long as you’re willing to listen. Instead of trying to detect harassment and intimidation on your own, ask your staff to do it for you. In other words, teach them what signs to look out for and what to do once they recognize them.

So, how exactly do you do that? The easiest way is to organize several training sessions that discuss your company’s harassment policies and teach employees how to adhere to them. That will, of course, include learning how to recognize the signs of bullying and intimidation and what steps to take next.

These training sessions also provide a perfect opportunity to introduce new anti-harassment tools if you deem them necessary. For instance, if you’re worried about physical or sexual workplace harassment, Bluetooth alert buttons may be in order. Explain to your employees how they work and when to use them, and everyone will surely feel much safer.

3. Take Every Complaint Seriously

Once you train your staff to spot harassment and bullying, you also need to prove that you’re doing your part. Simply put, that means you’ll have to listen to your employees when they come forward and take them seriously. Even if they accuse someone you’d never expect that from, you should still look into it. After all, it takes courage to speak up in the face of retaliation.

When your employees see that their voices matter and you’re following through, they’re likely to come to you more often. At that point, you’ll no longer have to worry about spotting potential harassment yourself. In fact, the atmosphere you’ve fostered at your workplace won’t be conducive to inappropriate behavior. Over time, you’ll get fewer and fewer complaints and notice that everyone’s productivity and morale are sky-high.

In Conclusion

A manager’s job isn’t just to delegate tasks and make sure all employees perform their roles properly. It also entails ensuring that everyone feels safe and respected in their workplace and that there are no reputation-damaging incidents. As part of that, a manager needs to learn to spot early signs of workplace harassment and stand in its way before it escalates.

Of course, that’s not an easy task, and it takes practice to master. As time goes by, however, you’ll learn how to effectively recognize and respond to any issue that might arise. Start with the advice we’ve given you in this guide — the rest will come to you through experience.