Talking Points
Slide 1: - Introduction
Thank you for participating in the discussion today! As part of our district-wide strategic
objective to promote a culture of alignment, ethics and accountability, ethics advocates are
facilitating monthly ethical discussions. These monthly discussions are intended to be
informative and to invoke healthy dialogues around each topic. This month’s discussion is
Workplace Bullying.
Slide 2: Ground Rules
The ground rules for today are
 Respect all contributions
 No sidebars
 Silence phones – please step out of the room before answering a call
 Ask questions
 Be actively engaged and participate
Slide 3: Learning Objectives
Our learning objectives for today are to
1. Define workplace bullying
2. Understand the impact of bullying on the workplace
3. Discuss strategies to address bullying in the workplace
Slide 4: What is Workplace Bullying?
Often when we think of bullies, we think of children or school settings; however, bullying has
become very common to the workplace.
According to the most recent survey from the Workplace Bullying Institute, 35% of adult
Americans (an est. 53.5 million Americans) reported being bullied at work.
Slide 5: What is Workplace Bullying?
So what is workplace bullying?
 Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group)
directed towards an employee (or a group of employees), which are intended to
intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which create a risk to the health or
safety of the employee(s).
 Workplace bullying often involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying behavior
creates feelings of defenselessness and injustice in the target and undermines an
individual’s right to dignity at work.
Talking Points
Slide 6: Workplace Bullying
Statistics
In 2010 the Workplace Bullying Institute commissioned Zogby International to conduct a
scientific study of all Americans on the topic of workplace bullying. Key findings were:
 35% of American workers reported being bullied now or at some time in their
careers
 15% reported observing bullying
 62% of the bullies are men
 72% of bullies are bosses
 58% of targets are female
 Bullying happens four times more than illegal harassment
Joan Canning of the HR Advocate provides us with insight on how to recognize workplace
bullying…let’s take a look
Slide 7: Video for How to Recognize Workplace Bullying – HR Advocate
Slide 8: Workplace Bullying
Bullying can come from many sources including co-workers, supervisors/managers and
employers, or even from external sources such as members of the public or workers from other
organizations.
Slide 9: Workplace Bullying
Let’s take a look at some of the behaviors that are common to bullies.
Some of the obvious and aggressive behaviors are:
 Engaging in behavior or using language that frightens, humiliates, belittle or degrades,
including criticism that is delivered with yelling and screaming
 Teasing or regularly making someone the brunt of practical jokes
 Spreading gossip, rumors or innuendo of a malicious nature
More subtle and covert behaviors are:
 Deliberately excluding, isolating or marginalizing a person from normal workplace
activities
 Overloading a person with work
 Setting timelines that are difficult to achieve or constantly changing deadlines
 Setting tasks that are unreasonably beyond a person’s ability
Talking Points
Slide 10: Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying vs. Harassment
 Workplace bullying is inappropriate and unacceptable behavior, but it is not prohibited
by any federal or state law.
 Illegal discrimination and harassment covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and
under state fair employment laws pertain to discrimination and harassment based on
“protected status” groups such as:
o Race
o Color
o Ethnic or National Origin
o Sex
o Age
o Disability
o Veteran Status
o Genetic Information
o Ancestry
And others as listed
On February 3, 2014, our Board approved the revisions to Policy GAEB - Discrimination,
Harassment, and Retaliation. The policy was revised to expand the district's definition of
harassment and reporting requirements to include all forms of discrimination, harassment, and
retaliation based on the protected categories.
Slide 11: Workplace Bullying
What is not bullying?
Bullying is behavior focused on humiliating or intimidating an individual or a group. It has
nothing to do with work itself; but is driven by the bully’s personal agenda and actually
prevents work from getting done.
However, not every unpleasant interaction, instance of disrespectful behavior, or workplace
conflict is bullying.
 Expressing a difference of opinions or offering constructive feedback is not considered
bullying.
 A boss who provides you with concise job duties and works that is to be performed but
is fair and professional is not a bully boss.
 Managers and supervisors have many responsibilities including directing and supervising
how work is to be performed, monitoring workflow and providing feedback on
performance.
 As long as those actions are taken in a respectful manner, they do not constitute
bullying.
Slide 12: Could My Actions Be Taken As Bullying?
Talking Points
Often we can spot bullying behavior in others but do we ever ask ourselves – COULD MY
ACTIONS BE TAKEN AS BULLYING?
Here are a few questions for you to think about
 Do I yell at meetings?
 Do I enjoy confrontations?
 Do I avoid thinking about how others might feel if I say or do hurtful things to them?
 Do I find it difficult to trust others?
 Do I need to control those around me?
Slide 13: Potential Impacts of Workplace Bullying
Bullying is a health and safety issue and has many effects.
 It can distract someone while they’re performing tasks that require concentration,
which can lead to physical injury.
 It can also lead to physical illness and psychological injuries, such as anxiety and
depression.
Potential impacts of workplace bullying are:
 Staff turnover, absenteeism
 Low employee morale
 Poor work output/loss of productivity
 Costs associated with investigations of ill treatment and potential legal actions
 Workmen’s compensation claims
Slide 14: Dealing with Workplace Bullying
Everyone at Atlanta Public Schools has a role to play when it comes to preventing and
addressing bullying.
If you are the target
 Realize that you are not the source of the problem
 Recognize that bullying is about control and has nothing to do with your performance
 Keep a diary detailing the nature of the bullying (dates, times, places, what was said or
done)
 Keep copies of harassing/bullying paper trails
 Report
Slide 15: Where Do I turn
Here are resources you may use to report workplace bullying incidents:
 Supervisor/Manager
 Ethics Tip Line - 1.877.801.7754
 Online Anonymous Reports - http://www.tnwinc.com/atlantapublicschools
 Employee Relations – 404.802.2300
Talking Points
Slide 16: Dealing with Workplace Bullying
If you are the bully
STOP!!
Slide 17: Dealing with Workplace Bullying
What can we all do?
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Always be professional and respectful
Speak up when you witness bullying
Become informed about the seriousness of this issue
Provide training about bullying to employees, which is why we’re here today