We recently talked about how you can recognize bullying in the workplace, but how should you handle it?
Equipping Yourself
These tips will help you on the road to recovering from being bullied:
- Take a Day Off. Use this day to consult a mental health professional. Get emotionally stable to make reasonable decisions, and come up with a plan for confronting the bully or your employer. Check in with your physical health as well, because stress has many adverse effects on the body.
- Research Law and Policies. There may be legal recourse you can take against bullies. Even if you do not take this option, you can research state and federal law to provide this information to your employer. If the problem is significant, talk to an attorney and write a demand letter. The handbook for your company may already have policies in place that can protect you. Use these to recruit a supervisor as your advocate.
- Start Job Searching. Searching does not mean giving up. It means having a plan B in case the bullying doesn’t stop.
- Expose the Bully. Talk to your management about the problem. If the management is the problem, talk to someone higher in the hierarchy. If your business is corporate, you may have to call someone off location.
- Keep on Task and be Objective. When presenting your case to bullies or managers, be as objective as possible. Don’t drift into side issues or unrelated stories. Prepare your case ahead of time with numbered points and a conclusion.
- Get Advice. Whether from friends, administrators or legal professionals, get advice. You do not need to fight this battle alone.
Being bullied in the workplace is stressful, but attempting to ignore the problem will not make it go away. Follow these tips to help you have the best possible working environment.
