Over the last few years I have made several presentations on workplace bullying and harassment based on my latest book titled “How to stand up to workplace bullying and take on an unjust employer”.
The presentations are generally very well received and there are always some excellent questions and/or comments during the discussion period. Once again, it has become clear to me that it is a very relevant topic in our country today.
Here are a few comments I typically make about recommendations for employees in general:
- Read your employee handbook thoroughly
- Talk to HR about processes and procedures – about issues such as performance evaluation, harassment reporting, etc
- Thorough review and understanding of union’s rules, regulations and processes
- Learn about your state’s process for evaluating human rights violations
- Be mindful of what topics should be discussed at the workplace
- Follow union and HR processes if there is harassment
- Document everything about incidents, witnesses, HR response, etc. Keep in mind that most eyewitnesses will not come forward
- Do not tell anyone if you are considering taking legal action
- Be careful of emails, text messages, etc sent in connection with the situation
- Be prepared for a long battle – everything seems to take a lot of time