An effective workplace bullying investigation is like a jigsaw puzzle or an unbroken code. They all have the same end goal in mind, but are made up of many different pieces. There are no perfect answers when it comes to investigating workplace bullying and its effects on employees, but rather, there are best practices.
Workplace bullying is a tricky issue to tackle. It isn’t always black and white, but it is something that must be addressed with care. Not only can workplace bullying become exceptionally stressful and detrimental to employee morale; it can also lead to serious consequences such as increased absenteeism, loss of productivity, lowered performance standards and even potential danger for other employees.
An effective workplace bullying investigation begins with correct protocols and procedures.
Here we will take you through those steps so that you too can plan an effective investigation into whether or not your organization has an issue with workplace bullying.
What is workplace bullying?
Workplace bullying is a form of psychological harassment that is repeated and targeted at an employee by one or more co-workers or superiors. It may involve teasing, insulting, derogatory language, threatening behaviour, or even physical aggression.
The bully's goal is to either control the victim through intimidation, or destroy the victim's self-esteem so that they can be replaced. It can happen in any industry, in any office, and it can occur on any level. There are no rules that dictate who can be a bully, who can be the target, or how many people can be involved.
There are two types of workplace bullying: “characterized” and “nonspecific”.
Characterized workplace bullying happens when specific stereotypes are targeted and oppressed. These stereotypes can include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.
Nonspecific workplace bullying, on the other hand, is when no specific traits are targeted. Instead, people are either teased, insulted, or humiliated based on their personality types or qualities that the bullies find irritating.
Why is a bullying investigation important?
There is no standard regulation or law that determines how much workplace bullying is acceptable.
While some companies may have zero tolerance policies when it comes to bullying, others don’t even recognize it as a problem.
An investigation is important to ensure that your employees are protected, as well as to minimize the risk of losing valuable talent. An investigation can help you understand the scope of the issue. If you have a large number of employees who are being affected by bullying, you have a much bigger problem on your hands than if it’s just a few isolated cases.
An investigation can provide you with the insight and data you need to take appropriate action, whether that be disciplinary action or offering support counselling to those who are being bullied.
Step 1: Define Your Investigation's Scope
Before you even begin thinking about how to conduct your investigation into workplace bullying, you need to first define the scope of your investigation. This will help you to identify what exactly you are investigating, as well as what areas you need to focus on.
What Is the Issue Under Investigation? What form of workplace bullying are you investigating? Are there any underlying causes? What are the effects of this behaviour? Who Is Involved? Which employees are impacted? Are there managers or supervisors involved?If so, you may need to interview them, as well as any witnesses. Where Is the Problem Located? Is the issue happening at the same location every day? Or is it a roving issue? What are the hours of potential occurrence?
Step 2: Select Investigative Tools
While there isn’t a particular type of investigative tool designed specifically for workplace bullying investigations, there are tools that can be modified and used to great effect.
· Interviewing - This is the most common investigative tool used for workplace bullying investigations. You want to speak with as many people as possible who may be involved, as well as those who may have witnessed the behaviour. An effective interview is more than just asking questions and taking notes. You need to be able to read the situation and understand what is being said. You also need to be able to spot inconsistencies in certain answers.
· Document Review - This is the process of reviewing any documentation that is related to the investigation. This can include emails, text messages, videos, and even employee handbooks. You may find that there is documentation that supports the claims of bullying. Or you may find records that dispute them. Either way, documentation can be extremely helpful when conducting a workplace bullying investigation.
Step 3: Determine the Importance of the Behaviour
You want to understand just how important the incident is. How does this behaviour affect other people? How does it affect the workplace? What does it say about the company and the employees who work there? Does it break any company rules or codes of conduct? Does it break any laws?
By understanding the severity of the incident and how it affects other people, you can then understand how to best handle the situation once it is confirmed that bullying is, in fact, taking place.
Step 4: Confirmed Detection and Identification of Bullying Behaviour
At this point you need to confirm that the behaviour is indeed bullying. You have to look at all of the facts, evidence, and statements that have been provided and come to a conclusion based on what you have learned. You must then share your conclusion with the people involved in the investigation.
At this point, you may want to consider counselling with an HR representative or psychologist to help you through the process. You also need to identify the specific behaviour that you are investigating. You want to be as specific as possible so that there are no grey areas. You also want to look at the behaviour in terms of frequency, severity, and other factors such as surrounding circumstances.
Step 5: Review and Conclusion
Finally, you want to review your original goals and objectives. You want to ensure that your investigation was effective, that it met your goals, and that the conclusions you came to were valid and accurate.
By following these steps, you can successfully plan a workplace bullying investigation. You can determine if bullying is taking place in your office, who is involved, and what form the bullying is taking. You can also confirm if the behaviour qualifies as bullying, as well as identify the specific behaviour that is being targeted.
Once you have a thorough investigation under your belt, you can then determine the best course of action moving forward.
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