Bullied by the boss

By JANINE OGIER

Judy's manager is a liar. "We are told something verbally and then he contradicts it," she says. "There's no faith or trust in the relationship."

Mike's boss makes commitments in person, but then denies it and says if it is not in writing it doesn't exist.

"The boss has a habit of saying really destructive things to me and other members of my team when we are alone with her in one-on-one meetings or casual conversations, but being almost sickly sweet when she sends email or any written memos.

"When we reported her actions to her supervisor, she denied it and pulled out all her emails as proof of what a sweet, reasonable woman she is."

Megan's supervisor scolded her for not doing work she had not known was her responsibility, publicly humiliated her, and then disappeared for long periods and left her to carry the load.

Judy, Mike and Megan are all victims of psychological harassment, and they didn't want their real names published.

Research from Manchester University shows workplace bullying is responsible for 30 to 50 per cent of work-related stress illness.

Whether it's called bullying, horizontal violence or psychological harassment, these tactics are being used in a workplace near you.

Haydn Olsen, an employment relations adviser and specialist in workplace violence prevention, says duplicity is usually the result of either an overly stressed manager who genuinely forgets, or a more sinister tactic of bullying, falsehood and abuse of powers.

Chronic bullies wreak havoc in workplaces and go unrecognised as such because they manage to get results and charm their way out of trouble, says Olsen, who works for Wave (Workplaces Against Violence in Employment), an organisation managed under the Challenge Violence Trust in Rotorua.

Such people are often accomplished liars and have Jekyll and Hyde personalities, being nice one minute and nasty the next.

Classic bullying responses from poor managers include unjustified criticisms, withholding information, constantly changing targets or work guidelines, overloading employees with work and impossible deadlines and taking credit for others' work.

Why some bosses act like this can be traced to their personality or how they get high on power, says Dr Helena Cooper Thomas, an organisational psychology specialist from Auckland University.

"Some people very much like to have control over situations and like the feeling of being in control over others," she says.

Others get high on position power. "They have power over you not because they are brighter or they have got more expertise or strength of character. It is purely that they happen to be your boss and they have a large degree of control over you and your work."

If you have been the target of psychological harassment tactics, Wave has some constructive suggestions.

Victims need to clarify their manager's expectations. "Don't assume or act on what you think is being requested. State it back to the manager, 'So you want me to ... "' Olsen says. If need be, state it in front of others or get it in writing.

Judy and her colleagues consulted senior management and then dealt with their duplicitous boss by asking for everything to be put in writing. The paper trail means there is no possibility of contradiction.

"He enjoyed showing he had the power to change his mind and make me do things. But I refuse to be bullied," she says.

Wave also advises people not to accept spurious complaints. Olsen says be assertive by stating what you find unacceptable at the same time as ensuring your employment agreement and job description are up to date.

Also, request a conflict management programme for your workplace so issues can be dealt with openly and in good faith.

Megan took a long time to get up the courage to talk to her supervisor's boss about his behaviour. But when she did it was treated seriously and resolved through the employer's grievance procedures. Eventually, her boss left the organisation.

Wave says taking notes of incidents is important so you have evidence. If the incidents take place in private, speak up in front of others so immediate witnesses are created. Then make a written complaint to senior management if nothing else works.

Seeking social support is a key step to helping yourself when faced with duplicity at work, says Dr Cooper Thomas. Other employees may also recognise the boss's deceit and form a strong bond to help each other cope.

Avoiding the boss can be a short-term protective solution, but this can make you more anxious by not dealing with the situation.

Slugging it out through direct confrontation is an alternative, but such an assertive strategy can backfire if the boss is well-practised in being underhand.

"You might be able to negotiate. Make it clear that if they want to make use of your skills and abilities they will have to change their behaviour to get them," Dr Cooper Thomas says.

She too emphasises the practicality of getting dealings with the manager down in writing.

"Be really upfront. Say, 'We seem to keep having different memories of tasks you have given me. From now on I am going to take notes which I'd like you to check and confirm'."

Leaving the job is another alternative, but how people determine when is time to leave depends on personal boundaries and how much duplicitous behaviour they can cope with.

Dr Cooper Thomas says people think the longer they wait, the more likelihood there is of something happening or improving. But you just don't know.

If workers are going to leave, then they need to set boundaries and deadlines, such as getting a CV together within a month and then sending it out the next time the boss lies, she says. That way they are dealing with the boss' behaviour by taking action, even if such action is indirect.

The Employment Relations Act 2000 protects employees against bad bosses.

But an employee's legal response to maltreatment depends on the specific behaviour involved, according to John Hannan, a partner at Phillips Fox Auckland specialising in employment law. Hannan suggests trying informal steps to resolve the situation first. He reiterates the need to talk to the person causing the problem, then raising the issue with that person's immediate boss or the HR department if no satisfaction if forthcoming.

The next step is to contact the Labour Department's Mediation Service.

Chief Mediator Stephen Hooper says the service encourages both sides to meet and talk through the issues with a facilitator in a safe environment.

The staff don't advocate, they provide an opportunity for the parties to find a sensible solution, he says.

An employee's next option is to formally raise a personal grievance: either a disadvantage case or a constructive dismissal case. Hannan says you simply give notice in writing to the employer that you have a personal grievance and detail the disadvantage suffered. The alternative in a really bad situation is to resign and then claim you have been constructively dismissed.

"If the employer doesn't fix the situation then you can lodge the personal grievance with the Employment Relations Authority and then you are entering the court process," he says.

While the process can be tackled yourself, Hannan believes using a lawyer or some other employment advocate can achieve a better result.

From a business reality perspective, management expert Doug Matheson says the performance of any organisation is dependent on its managers.

A workplace culture with open communication, including criticism of management, provides an environment where people can work effectively and are more likely to stay, says Matheson, the president of the Asian Association of Management Organisations.

Unfortunately, power can provoke "little Hitlers" and some managers are so arrogant they club together against employees, he says.

Ultimately, senior management and boards are accountable for supervisors' performance. They have to listen to employees and take responsibility for addressing problems, Matheson says.

Mike, meanwhile, is still working through the supervisory problems with his company.

Who to contact for help

* The Zero Bully helpline on 0800 9376285

* The Labour Department's Mediation Service on 0800 800 863

* Beyond bullying

* Wave (Workplaces Against Violence in Employment)