Workplace “bullies” – people that are abusive towards other employees – are real, and they beat-up more than morale. Hostility in the workplace can impact the bottom line through lost productivity, employee turn over, potential legal action and a tarnished brand reputation.
Recently, the New York Times ran an article titled, “Backlash: Women Bullying Women at Work.” The story provides solid insights into woman taking aim at other women in the workplace, but stopped short of delivering guidance on dealing with them.
Fortunately, there is help available for employees struggling with an abusive workplace situation.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) often provide confidential counseling services to workers that need help dealing with difficult situations like an abusive co-worker. Skilled counselors are available to talk with employees about how to respond to a confrontation, how to reach out within the organization for help, and how to cope with the stress and impact of dealing with a difficult personality.
Every situation is different, but at Perspectives, Ltd. counselors work with each employee to understand challenges that are specific and unique to their situation and then provide guidance for successfully navigating those circumstances. It may take time to resolve, but an EAP can help give employees the support they need to get through a difficult situation until balance is restored to their work environment.
Businesses with EAPs in place should encourage employees to use them for situations that cause stress and impact performance. Because, at the end of the day, a healthy workplace is more than a good place to be, it’s good business.
Tags: abusive bosses, bullies, bullying, EAP, employee assistance, women bullies, workplace bullies
Leave a Reply