Dr. Gary Namie pulls no punches when he lays the blame for bullying in the workplace. He points a knowing finger squarely at company presidents and CEOs.

Many leaders, he says, condone, enable and turn a blind eye to the sycophants who take shameless pleasure in systematically destroying another individual's confidence and competence.

But be warned - companies allow bullying at their peril. They lose "ideal" employees who quit or end up on stress leaves. Or they pay dearly because the associated costs of bullying are staggering, including absenteeism, depression-based disability claims and lost productivity.

Namie, who works from Bellingham, Wash., is a recognized leader in North America on the subject of workplace bullying. This week, he is delivering the keynote address to more than 500 members of the Construction Owners Association of Alberta's best practices annual meeting in Edmonton. The association developed a workplace bullying policy for its members in May 2004, and is now rolling out a toolkit of resources to help employers, a move Namie calls laudable.

Gary Namie

A social psychologist, Namie and his wife Ruth, a clinical psychologist, have been full-time anti-bullying advocates since 1997, two years after Ruth herself was a target.

The couple has since written two books on the subject, conduct ongoing research through their Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute (WBTI) and have counselled more than 4,300 targets of bullies.

Gary Namie is a refreshing voice. Outspoken and articulate, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He says his wife's experience and thousands of other accounts he's heard are depressing, frightening and shameful.

Research suggests bullying is pervasive. About one in six people in the U.S. workforce could be labelled a bully - and according to a 2003 WBTI survey the worst offenders (71 per cent) are managers. Namie believes Canadian workplaces suffer from similar percentages.

Sadly, because human decency apparently isn't a good enough reason, Namie encourages company leaders to stamp out bullying for its clear business case.

But even that's a tough sale.

Why? Namie calls it the "Bob phenomenon."

In companies that he's consulted with on bullying, Namie's found a clear personal relationship between leadership and some of those organizations' most hurtful bullies.

"The senior executives don't want to let Bob go," Namie explains. "They say, 'Bob's my man.' Or it could be Barbara, because 58 per cent of the time it's a woman (doing the bullying)."

Leaders often select their "Bobs" for their aggressiveness or as cleanup artists to straighten out a business unit.

In effect, leaders become bully apologists, unwilling to address the problem.

Namie says they should think again, noting that bullying is linked to skyrocketing depression and stress-related disability claims. In Ontario, he cites the case of an employer who is losing $500,000 a year because one bully tormented three people who were put on disability leave. The dollar figure doesn't factor in other costs: The absenteeism of others affected by the bullying culture, lost productivity, resentment or employees who simply quit because of the toxic culture.

Nevertheless, bullies survive. Insidious, they work hard to ingratiate themselves with leaders. Even when there is enough tension, turmoil and sick claims to "out" the bully, executives won't fire the perpetrator.

"They say, 'That can't be. Why, Bob washes my car on the weekend.' " (Namie actually knew of a senior VP who cut the CEO's grass and washed his car on weekends. It was the ultimate "suck-up" and it worked, he says.)

Leaders must realize that many bullies are two-faced, he adds. Insecure, they portray themselves as grandiose. Narcissistic, they are the centre of their universe, subordinating the employer's agenda to theirs and preventing work from getting done. A bully's actions aren't always easily observed. The most traumatizing damage is done covertly, out of earshot or behind closed doors, where the bully often tries to convince targets that they are stupid despite a stellar record that says otherwise.

Statistics culled from Namie's online survey show that bullies usually get their way. In 37 per cent of the cases when bullying stops, it's because the target is fired or involuntarily terminated. Thirty-three per cent quit, and another 17 per cent transfer to another position with the same employer.

In nine per cent of cases, the bully is transferred or terminated, and four per cent of bullies stop after punishment or sanctions.

The figures suggest that 70 per cent of the time, a formerly good employee leaves the organization. Why are they vulnerable? Probably because they are decent human beings.

Targets all share a non'-confrontational approach to aggression, Namie says. When a bully comes at them they turn their back and try to ignore it (some find it difficult to accept anyone could be that mean on purpose). The attacks last for months, eventually grinding away at the target's emotional and physical state.

"They are getting sicker and sicker by staying in denial and not dealing with it," he says. "But because they are non-confrontational, and they've turned their back, the claws are sunk in and it takes a whole institution to extract the bully."

That "whole institution" could be a company policy, or a law to compel employers to pay attention to the problem, he adds.

In Canada, only Quebec has passed provincial legislation that bans workplace bullying, says Heather Gray, an Edmonton-based expert on workplace violence.

"Technically, bullying is legal," Gray says. However, some organizations are taking action. Gray recently worked with a big Ontario institution to "ferret" out a bullying problem. The organization had written anti-bullying language into its workplace policy and last month it was successfully enforced.

Unfortunately, most employees aren't protected. Namie says employers should know that the targets are often the backbone of the company.

A composite sketch of these targets - based on his surveys - would look like this: They dare to be independent; are technically more competent; are socially skilled, displaying empathy, emotional intelligence and are well liked; and they are ethical whistle-blowers.

In short, they are the type of employee human resource departments want to recruit and retain - talented, adaptable, trainable, well balanced and honest.

To a person, Namie says, they are people who just want to do a good job.

Which begs the question - why do business owners let bullies take them down?

BULLY BAIT

How do bullies wear down their targets? In a 2003 survey by The Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute, targets of bullies said these were the most common tactics:

* Falsely accuse someone of “errors” not actually made.

* Stare, glare, non-verbally intimidate while clearly showing hostility.

* Discount the target’s thoughts or feelings (“oh, that’s silly”) in meetings.

* Use the “silent treatment” to “ice out” and separate from others.

* Make up own rules on the fly that even the bully could not follow.

* Disregard satisfactory or exemplary quality of completed work despite evidence.

* Harshly and constantly criticize, having a different “standard” for the target.

* Started, or failed to stop, destructive rumours or gossip about the target.

* Encouraged people to turn against the person being tor the person being targeted.

Web Watch:

www.workdoctor.com
www.bullybusters.org
www.bullyinginstitute.org www.tamainc.net

(Mike Dempster can be reached at miked@businessedge.ca)