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The Ogre in the Office
Work is something we do for a variety of reasons, It provides us with a sense of purpose, gives us an opportunity to increase our skills or view of the world, helps pay the bills and can mean fulfillment of goals we've set for yourself. One thing work really shouldn't be is a place where you are bullied, denigrated or made to feel less competent. Unfortunately, the bullies of the school yard of years gone by are now lurking in our offices, so we need to learn how to handle them.
Sometimes bullying involves invading your personal space so that you feel a sense of threat or you are verbally abused. I heard of one surgeon who bullied the nurses in the OR and actually barricaded one in the OR because the surgeon "didn't like the nurse's attitude." Is this behavior acceptable for someone who holds a scalpel in their hand on a regular basis and has the power of life and death? It doesn't sound reasonable or professional. No action was taken against the surgeon who was told to transfer to a different hospital or service.
I once had a landlord try to bully me into not going to college at night because he thought I was too old. I avoided him whenever possible and once told him that his daughter was just a few years young than me and she was going to medical school. No answer from him.
A young, petite medical intern had a similar instance of bullying. She needed a small stool so that she could observe the surgery. The surgeon in charge, who didn't think women belonged in surgery unless they were nurses, whirled around and kicked the stool across the room. She ultimately became a dermatologist.
Bullying can also include excluding you from important meetings or communications, and one survey found that 24% of the companies surveyed indicated bullying in their facilities. The recourse, of course, is through the chain of command in the company and then, if that doesn't work out, legal action can be taken.
Does bullying cause you damage? Yes, because it can increase the stress in your life to the point that it damages your health and, certainly, your mental health is affected.
The message here? Bullying isn't to be tolerated, you do have rights and there are people who will stand by you.
Related Topics: Fight Stress and Find Life Balance, Work Stress May Hurt the Heart
Technorati Tags: workplace, bully, devil wears prada
Sometimes bullying involves invading your personal space so that you feel a sense of threat or you are verbally abused. I heard of one surgeon who bullied the nurses in the OR and actually barricaded one in the OR because the surgeon "didn't like the nurse's attitude." Is this behavior acceptable for someone who holds a scalpel in their hand on a regular basis and has the power of life and death? It doesn't sound reasonable or professional. No action was taken against the surgeon who was told to transfer to a different hospital or service.
I once had a landlord try to bully me into not going to college at night because he thought I was too old. I avoided him whenever possible and once told him that his daughter was just a few years young than me and she was going to medical school. No answer from him.
A young, petite medical intern had a similar instance of bullying. She needed a small stool so that she could observe the surgery. The surgeon in charge, who didn't think women belonged in surgery unless they were nurses, whirled around and kicked the stool across the room. She ultimately became a dermatologist.
Bullying can also include excluding you from important meetings or communications, and one survey found that 24% of the companies surveyed indicated bullying in their facilities. The recourse, of course, is through the chain of command in the company and then, if that doesn't work out, legal action can be taken.
Does bullying cause you damage? Yes, because it can increase the stress in your life to the point that it damages your health and, certainly, your mental health is affected.
The message here? Bullying isn't to be tolerated, you do have rights and there are people who will stand by you.
Related Topics: Fight Stress and Find Life Balance, Work Stress May Hurt the Heart
Technorati Tags: workplace, bully, devil wears prada
