Special thanks to David Weisenfeld for having me on his show, XpertHR!!
Listen to the podcast on his page.
Workplace bullying is an issue increasingly on HR’s radar. When does teasing cross the line into bullying? What happens when the accused bully is a supervisor or higher? And how can co-workers help stop the problem?
On this podcast, we discuss those questions and more with Catherine Mattice, who heads Civility Partners, a San Diego-based training and consulting firm that helps organizations build positive workplace cultures. Mattice is a former HR director who experienced bullying earlier in her career and has authored a book on the subject.
Mattice has strong words for employees who witness bullying behavior at work but remain silent. “If you don’t speak up when you see workplace bullying happening then you’re reinforcing the problem,” she says. “I don’t like the words ‘witness’ and ‘bystander’ because it implies you don’t have a choice.”
She offers concrete suggestions for how HR can create an environment where people are more comfortable coming forward and speaking up, including:
- Communicate that you care;
- Have a policy in place; and
- Focus on fostering a positive workplace.
