What is Workplace Bullying?
Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms:
- Verbal abuse.
- Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating or intimidating
- Work interference – sabotage – which prevents work from getting done.
Why is it a problem?
It is a problem that has invaded the life of 37% adult Americans without invitation. In its more severe forms, it triggers a host of stress-related health complications — hypertension, auto-immune disorders, depression, and anxiety to PTSD. The person’s immediate job and often career are often disrupted.
To read more about the health harms from Bullying please visit the target section at the WBI website, at: http://www.workplacebullying.org/
For employers it’s a problem, too. Often, it is the least skilled who attack the best and brightest workers because of the perceived threat they imagine. When the perpetrator has the power to deprive her or his target of a livelihood, and the economic and health security the job represents, bullying is an abuse of authority. U.S. employers are loathe to stop bullying, let alone acknowledge its existence.
What is currently being done about it?
American employees are stuck when working as at-will employees. Given that there are six candidates for each job opening during this recession, people stay in miserable work conditions getting sicker each day from stress-related health complications. While working in less than desirable jobs in toxic work environments, they see the few workers’ rights eroded.
Some brave, early-adopting employers realized that stopping bullying is good for business. Sioux City Iowa is the first school district in the nation to address workplace bullying for their adult employees. They have voluntarily created policies and credible enforcement procedures to purge destructive individuals. But these pioneering employers are few and far between.
American unions have also begun to learn about bullying and some have even been trained to provide peer support for their bullied members. Bullying is a vexing problem for most unions when the mistreatment is member-on-member. Canadian unions have a mixed record from exemplary responses to eliminate bullying to denial.
Why do we need a Law?
Employers react to laws with internal policies. The real value of a law, and the true purpose of the WBI Healthy Workplace Bill, is to get employers to prevent bullying with policies and procedures that apply to all employees. The Bill, crafted by law professor David Yamada for the Healthy Workplace Campaign, gives good employers incentives to do the right thing by avoiding expensive litigation.
Interesting Facts
Did you know that 35% of the US workforce reports being bullied at work?
Did you know that in 80% of those cases the bullying was legal? Millions of Americans are affected by workplace bullying.
Visit: http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org to find out more, how to help this bill become law in your state, and to possible volunteer your services.
Healthy Workplace Bill
Healthy Workplace National Bill page: http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/
Misc Important Links
My Blog Page:
Blog Address (GOOGLE): “Bullying at Verizon – Enough is Enough”
My Speech / News Paper Article:
Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 at the Capital (Video), I begin the speech about Verizon at the 27:00 minute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6pPe2gqGRI&feature=share
Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 (Newspaper Article):
National Petition:
Here’s a National Petition against Workplace Bullying that generates individual emails notifying both President Obama & DOL Secretary Solis each time someone signs — please help us reach our goal and get the word out:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/protect-us-workers/
As Verizon would say: Making Progress Every Day!
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
Neal W. Dias
774-627-4218
Fightingfor7years@hotmail.com
Justicefor7@yahoo.com
My Blog Page:
Blog Address (GOOGLE): Bullying at Verizon – Enough is Enough
Facebook:
• Justice at Verizon
• Enough is Enough – Stop Workplace Bullying
My Story:
https://justiceatverizon.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/bullying-at-verizon/
Huffington Post Article:
Title: Verizon: Plenty Of Good Middle Class Jobs But Would You Want To Work There?
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/14/verizon-plenty-of-good-middle-class-jobs-but-would-you-want-to/
My Press Releases:
My Speeches:
Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in Boston Massachusetts July 7, 2012 (Video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HKgP-dfyI
Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 (Video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6pPe2gqGRI&feature=share
Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit in Hartford Connecticut at the Legislators Building, August 9, 2012
**(Neal W. Dias – fast forward to 02:41:56 – 02:56:09)**
http://ct-n.com/ondemand.asp?ID=8061
National Workplace Bullying Press Conference in Washington DC October 15th 2012
http://www.workplacebullying.org/freedom-week/freedom-week-wbi/
http://www.workplacebullying.org/2012/10/11/fw-npc/
Newspaper Article About Me:
Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 (Newspaper Article):
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/128768/savino-englebright-push-bill-to-fight-workplace-bullying/
Legislative Gazette May 7, 2012
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2012-05-07-81658.113122-Bill-protects-employees-from-workplace-bullying.html
Story on the Massachusetts Healthy Workplace web site June 11, 2012:
http://www.mahealthyworkplace.com/workplace/neal.html
Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit in Hartford Connecticut at the Legislators Building, August 9, 2012 (Flyer)
http://www.ct.gov/chro/lib/chro/2012_Summit_Details_and_Information.pdf
Press Release Distribution October 11, 2012
http://www.prlog.org/11997573-national-leaders-support-freedom-from-workplace-bullies-week.html
News Blaze October 12, 2012
http://newsblaze.com/story/2012101205010600002.pnw/topstory.html
ABC Channel 13 / WE-SET TV The Heart of Virginia October 15, 2012
http://www.wset.com/story/19802884/national-leaders-support-freedom-from-workplace-bullies-week-mary-kay-henry-seiu-hilary-o-shelton-naacp-mg-taguba-ppalm
24/7 Press Releases October 13, 2012
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-rss/national-leaders-support-quotfreedom-from-workplace-bullies-weekquot-308871.php
U.S. Politics Today October 15, 2012
http://uspolitics.einnews.com/pr_news/118659159/national-leaders-support-freedom-from-workplace-bullies-week-mary-kay-henry-seiu-hilary-o-shelton-naacp-mg-taguba-ppalm
PETITIONS:
Bullying at Verizon – Enough is Enough / Petition:
http://signon.org/sign/bullying-at-verizon-enough?source=c.em.cp&r_by=4096164
Enough is Enough – Stop Workplace Bullying / National Petition:
http://signon.org/sign/enough-is-enough-stop-1?source=c.url&r_by=4521742
Healthy Workplace Bill:
Healthy Workplace National Bill page: http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/
o PLEASE, click on this link above, then get into you specific state. Once you are in the state of your choice, Click on to your state, and you will see the: “HWCE-Z Letter E-Mailing Tool,” will be right on that page. It will only take one minute as it will allow your state legislators know instantly that you are in support on this “Healthy Workplace Bill.”
Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) / Unlimited Resources
http://www.workplacebullying.org/
Undercover Lawyer / State Law Resources for Hostile Work Environment
http://www.undercoverlawyer.com/state-law-resources/
Oprah (On Workplace Bullying):
http://www.oprah.com/health/Workplace-Bullying-Linked-with-Lack-of-Sleep
National Workplace Bullying Attorney – Carol Ryder:
Attorney Carol Ryder from New York, NY.
http://carolryderlaw.com/100301.html
justiceatverizon 