Podcast: Workplace Bullying

As many as one in four employees are harassed, threatened or attacked at work. There are also more than 1.5 million victims of workplace violence each year. So what's an employer to do to prevent ugly incidents from occurring at its facility?

An XpertHR podcast examines this trending issue with Indianapolis employment attorney Jeff Beck of Faegre Baker Daniels. Beck says everything starts with having an anti-bullying policy in place that is communicated to all employees. According to Beck, there are several other steps an employer can take to reduce its risk, including:

• A managerial commitment to training;
• Having multiple reporting venues, including an anonymous hotline;
• Undertaking a workplace risk assessment; and
• Following through with discipline.

A failure to recognize the warning signs of aggressive or potentially violent behavior is the biggest mistake Beck sees regarding workplace bullying. "Reducing the risk of bullying or harassment is not a one-person job," Beck advises. "It's something you have to get employees to buy into and they need to know what to do if they spot that behavior."