Why Reporting Sexual Harassment to HR is Ineffective

Stop me if you heard this one—a female employee gets sexually harassed by her supervisor and reports it to Human Resources. HR tells her that she can transfer to another department to get away from him, but because it’s his first offense and he’s a star performer, there’s little they can do. The employee transfers and learns from other female employees that the former supervisor has harassed many of them. They go back to HR, which does nothing. The latest example of this happened at Uber, according to the New York Times, which picked up the story from the employee’s own blog.

This sort of ineffectiveness is all too frequent from HR departments. They often seem more interested in protecting the bullies than dealing with abuse. In fact, when I talk with employees at speaking events around the country, the most common response to the question “Did HR help you?” is that the department is in management’s pocket and the visit was a waste of time.

We’ve seen this play out over and over again—Fox News, Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly, and so on. This is why I devoted a chapter in my book From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire to sexual bullying. Until we recognize the right of every employee to enjoy a psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplace and make that a priority for Human Resources, sexual harassment will continue to harm victims as well as the company.

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Revolutionist of the Week: Frum Warns of the Possible Rise of an American Dictator

The world’s greatest democracy is in danger of ending not with a bang, but with a whimper, warns David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic. His heart-clenching description of how the Trump administration might slowly and steadily destroy our form of government is sharply detailed in his Atlantic article, “How to Build and Autocracy.” In it, he writes:

“Those citizens who fantasize about defying tyranny from within fortified compounds have never understood how liberty is actually threatened in a modern bureaucratic state: not by diktat and violence, but by the slow, demoralizing process of corruption and deceit. And the way that liberty must be defended is not with amateur firearms, but with an unwearying insistence upon the honesty, integrity, and professionalism of American institutions and those who lead them. We are living through the most dangerous challenge to the free government of the United States that anyone alive has encountered. What happens next is up to you and me. Don’t be afraid. This moment of danger can also be your finest hour as a citizen and an American.”

I would like to call attention to the sort of autocrat Frum describes in his article. This is an absolute dictator and bully who will allow neither dissent nor disagreement. How many of us have worked for companies with a boss who fits this description? That is why people need reassurance that they can become activists for positive change, just as Frum describes and as discussed in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire.

Frum is more than a fine writer who has sharply delineated the direction in which America might go if the people don’t rise up—he’s a political insider whose has allowed his beliefs to evolve and owned up to his own errors in judgment. This is why we are naming him as our Revolutionist of the Week.

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The Silent Workplace Epidemic that Endangers Millennials

Millennial employees get a bad rap—often chastised as being lazy and self-involved, they are actually the largest current generation and swiftly eclipsing baby boomers in the workforce. While they bring plenty to the table—innovation, creativity, technological know-how, inclusiveness—they are also vulnerable to toxic workplaces. The medical journal Pediatrics reports that not only are they more likely to become clinically depressed than any other generation, more young women are struggling with the disease. Clearly they need psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces to make the most of their potential and maintain their physical and mental health.

Not meeting this standard has dire consequences for individuals as well as the nation. This is why I’m working with Mental Health America (MHA) to improve psychological health in America’s workplaces. MHA has studied this problem and found that mental health issues cost $51 billion per year in absenteeism and lost productivity and $26 billion in direct treatment costs.

My fear is that the current atmosphere of divisiveness, bigotry and bullying promoted by the current administration will compound the problem of mental health in the workplace. Adult bullying in the workplace can cause even more havoc on a person’s well-being than school bullying—many adults need their jobs so they and their families can survive. In a tough economy they may have no other option, so they are forced to endure negative treatment, which gone unchecked can lead to physical and mental illness and even suicide. With one in five Americans afflicted with a mental health issue at any given time, this is a serious consequence. For more information on how to create psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces and maximize the potential of millennials—and all employees—see my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire.

If you have coworkers—especially millennials—who are suffering, I urge you to reach out to them. As I indicated in recent articles about suicide resulting from workplace bullying and living with a person with mental illness, no one has to go this alone. There are resources for help. Choose to be an ally and advocate instead of a bystander. You can make a difference in someone’s life.

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Bully Boss Andrew Puzder Forced Out as Labor Nominee

It looks as though Donald Trump’s latest attempt to fill a cabinet position with someone reported to be a bully boss has failed.

Tomorrow, Andrew Puzder was due to begin confirmation hearings as nominee for labor secretary. Puzder, who is the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which includes Carl’s Jr. and Hardees, has a poor track record. He opposes legislation to raise the minimum wage or pay overtime to employees. There has been outcry about his corporation’s policies by unions, a history of hiring an undocumented domestic worker in his home, and allegations of domestic abuse (although his ex-wife recently recanted). As New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio recently pointed out, the position of labor secretary should be filled by someone who understands that workers’ rights are good for business.

According to the New York Times, Puzder withdrew his name from nomination Wednesday afternoon when several Republican senators indicated they would not confirm him. Given how Trump has stacked his cabinet with individuals with little regard for workers’ rights, women’s rights or just plain human rights, this could be a positive development. However, the only truly acceptable resolution would be to appoint a labor secretary who would truly represent American workers and offer them hope for a better future.

It’s important for employees to realize that activism and resistance really does work. Keep calling your elective representatives and let them know about the issues that mean the most to you. There is more information on how to become a resistor, activist and defender in the workplace my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire.

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How a Bully Boss Turns Subordinates into Bullies: White House Edition

There is a classic workplace bullying dynamic at work in the White House. As Donald Trump bullies his subordinates, they become bullied bullies and bully others. Trump communications specialist Omarosa Manigault was guilty of this recently when she tried to intimidate veteran White House reporter April Ryan, according to a report in the Washington Post. Just steps from the Oval Office, Manigault physically intimidated Ryan, made verbal threats and asserted that Ryan was among reporters on whom the Trump administration had “dossiers” of information. According to Ryan, the physical behavior was so extreme that it almost warranted Secret Service intervention.

In my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I deal extensively with how people who are bullied become bullies themselves. For many it is a way to cope and survive in a toxic environment, for others it gives them a license to get results through fear.

I keep pointing out the work of Stanley Milgram in The Perils of Obedience where he observed: "...ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority." My book is a resource so employees don’t become "agents in a terrible destructive process by resisting authority."

Revolutionist of the Week: The Prosecutor Who is Teaching Tolerance

After defacing the school with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti, five teenagers will report on books addressing some of history’s most divisive and tragic periods. This novel sentencing requirement, instead of the usual community service and probation, was the brainchild of prosecuting attorney Alejandra Rueda. She told the New York Times that just being sentenced wasn’t going to bring the message home. “I just thought maybe if the read these books, it will make an impression on them, and they will stand up for people who are being oppressed,” she said. That is why we are naming her our Revolutionist of the Week.

Rueda came up with a brilliant idea. Most kids grow up to become bigots and racists because of ignorance and propaganda. Reading allows us to see life through other people’s eyes. Countering the propaganda by giving these children different perspectives, and showing them the perils and consequences of bigotry and hatred in the context of history, will have a profound impact on them. This is an outstanding idea. We should be encouraging everyone, youth as well as adults, to experience the writings of those who are different than them so they can reflect on what we all learned in kindergarten, the Ethic of Reciprocity, aka, the Golden Rule—Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Don’t Miss the Message Behind Employees’ Obsession with Political Chatter

The current presidential administration has employees glued to social media even during working hours. While productivity is always important this Wall Street Journal article totally misses a dynamic that is occurring in the workplace. The reason employees are spending time on social media and debating in person about what is going on is because they are experiencing democracy being dismantled, in real time on prime time. For many, what they are seeing on the news parallels what they are experiencing at work. Most have not witnessed the rise of totalitarianism in their lifetime and are completely consumed and confused by it—and at the same time unsure of what they can do to prevent it.

While my new book From Bully to Bull's Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire centers around workplace dynamics, it is equally applicable to society in general. Bosses, rather than bemoan this distraction, should tap into how employees feel about what is going on and create cultures where democracy thrives to the benefit of the individual and the organization. When employees experience this at work, they will be more secure in their own ability and more likely demand the same from government. 

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Much More Than a ‘So Called Judge’: Our Revolutionist of the Week

The jurist who Donald Trump sneered at as a “so called judge” after he issued a temporary restraining order on Trump’s immigration ban is this week’s Revolutionist of the Week. Judge James L. Robart of the Federal District Court in Seattle is a highly respected mainstream judge who was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed in a 99-0 vote in the Senate. This is the most positive endorsement any nominee can receive—and it happened during the contentious Bush years. His peers agree with those who confirmed him: he’s been called a “judge’s judge” by the lawyers who have come before him and is known for his keen intelligence and even temper according to Michael D. McKay, an active Republican and former United States attorney. Another former U.S. attorney described him as “strict” and absolutely committed to the independence of the judiciary branch of government.

It’s telling that Trump took the judge’s action so personally. Judge Robart’s ruling had nothing to do with the legality of Trump’s executive order, but rather he had to decide whether the people Trump banned had an excellent legal case in their favor, if affected individuals would suffer irreparable harm, and if the ban was against the public interest.  Clearly Judge Robart ascertained that the answer was “yes” to all three questions.

So why did Trump attack such a respected judge? Once again, Trump’s true colors as a bully are showing. In my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I devoted an entire chapter to describing the characteristics of a bully boss—and these characteristics are modeled by Trump on an almost hourly basis, validating my findings.  I take no pleasure in this though. When the president disrespects a most respected jurist this way, he continues to put democracy at risk. 

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Canadian Generosity Can Inspire Americans to Resist Authority

 I am an immigrant to Canada from The Netherlands, and cannot be more proud of my adopted country and its whole-hearted embrace of Syrian refugees and pride in being a multicultural nation.

I’m also a part-time resident of the United States and based on numerous discussions I have had with many Americans, as well observing the protests and reading sources from honest journalism, I believe the majority in the U.S. are more like Canadians than not.

In the research I have done in workplace dynamics, I have come to understand how people become entrapped in an authoritarian culture. Stanley Milgram, in the Perils of Obedience put it so well when he wrote, "...ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of mortality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority."

This is why it is so critical for people to unite against the shift to totalitarianism. My new book From Bully to Bull's-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire  directly addresses how everyone can provide leadership as described by Mohandes K. Gandhi when he declared,  "It is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honor, his religion, his soul and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneration."

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Bully Boss Held Accountable in Employee’s Suicide

There’s no question about it—bullying kills—and we finally have a case where there might be justice. The jury during a coroner’s inquest in Fayette, Ohio, found that the suicide of a 17-year-old high school student was due to involuntary manslaughter principally caused by the bullying of his manager at Dairy Queen. While this is not a conviction, the manager has been arrested and the case now goes to the judge to determine whether full charges will be filed. As I’ve long advocated, people who bully must be held accountable.

This is a deeply important issue, which is why I dedicated an entire chapter of my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye, to “Costs, Liabilities and Deadly Consequences” of bullying.  According to a Harvard study, more than 120,000 deaths per year may be attributable to workplace stress. The damage done by bullies to their victims can lead to depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Suicide, which is too often euphemistically called “sudden death” in newspaper death notices to avoid public stigma, should be called what it is. I personally consider suicide brought on bullying to be murder.

Creating psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces is imperative to preventing this sort of tragedy, but equally important is being present for anyone who is being bullied. Victims often feel as though they are alone and there is no way out of their pain. For this reason, family, friends and even bystanders play a critical role. If you see someone struggling ask, “How can I help?”

If you are the one who is struggling please reach out to someone you trust. If you don’t have someone, please call one of the excellent organizations below. They will also help friends figure out how to help you. And remember, you’re not alone.

The Trevor Project Lifeline: 866-488-7386

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

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