When celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay gets in the face of an underling and tells him off profanely and at the top of his voice, it's good television.

And when magazine employees run like scared rabbits from fashion maven Miranda Priestly in the movie The Devil Wears Prada, it's fun to watch.

But in real life, workplace bullying is nowhere near fun. It's violent. It's abusive.

And it's illegal in Canada.

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Recent court settlements are proof companies can no longer turn a blind eye to psychological violence in the workplace.

Workplace bullying extracts a huge cost both for victims and increasingly for the companies that employ them. Yet we've been slow as a society to recognize the problem and react.

Nearly everyone in the working world has either been bullied or seen a bully in action. Too often, the behaviour is dismissed as tough management, as a personality conflict, as unintended - and given anything but its real name.

This accounts for the stunning disconnect in a study reported this year by the British employment law firm Peninsula, which surveyed 2,000 employers. While 13 per cent acknowledged bullying was an issue in their workplaces, employees begged to differ - 81 per cent of them said they'd been bullied at work.

Most said they didn't report it because they wouldn't be taken seriously. And they most likely were right.

A 2003 survey by the U.S. Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute found 70 per cent of the time, the bullying stopped only when the victim quit or was let go - or, in 17 per cent of cases, transferred.

That means bullies are brought to task only 13 per cent of the time.

But those statistics are starting to change, in Canada at least. There were 2,200 complaints filed against employers in Quebec in the year after 2004 laws against workplace bullying were enacted. Half of them were found to be justified by the agency charged with enforcement.

Employers are sitting up and taking notice of the big settlements awarded bullying victims against inactive employers, of governments passing anti-bullying laws and (against the background of growing labour shortages) competitors poaching unhappy employees.

"Organizations have been sweeping it under the carpet by saying things such as, 'He didn't mean to scare you' or 'He didn't mean to make you feel intimidated,' " says Gerry Smith, Toronto-based vice-president of organizational health with WarrenShepell, one of the largest employee assistance program consultants and providers in North America.

"But that just won't do anymore."

Recent court settlements are proof employers can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to psychological violence in the workplace.

* A Newfoundland government employee with cognitive and physical disabilities was recently awarded $850,000 - $100,000 of it in punitive damages for failure to stop the harassment - after a human rights tribunal found the man had been bullied to the point he could no longer work. His boss and colleagues teased, taunted and ridiculed him, including posting on the bulletin board cartoons of him having sex with animals.

* A civilian member of the RCMP in the corrections sector was awarded $550,000 in a constructive dismissal suit. After complaining his boss was drinking on duty, the employee was bullied, ridiculed and taunted for years until he no longer felt safe at work. Arbiters found he'd been bullied to the point he was no longer employable.

Bullying is simply too expensive, says Smith, who creates employer programs that address and prevent workplace trauma.

For victims, the costs can be measured in stress that leads to health problems. Research shows productivity can drop by up to 52 per cent, absenteeism increases, and so does sick time.

In today's tight labour market, what employer can afford to pick up those unnecessary costs?

Adding to the cost is the fact that contrary to common perception, targets of workplace bullies aren't the underachievers, the slackers and the deadwood.

Often they're very capable and productive employees whose competence threatens the bully, most often the victim's boss or supervisor.

Everyone in a work environment can play a role in stamping out workplace bullying, beginning with employees.

"A lot of times all that's required is for somebody to say 'You're out of line; don't do it again,' " says Smith.

It's important to call the bully on the behaviour, firstly because about three-quarters of bullies don't realize their behaviour is bullying because nobody has pointed it out to them, he says.

And secondly, if you dismiss it by saying, "That's just the way he is," you're giving the bully permission to use that behaviour against somebody else.

So employees need to be prepared to take a stand. Smith's advice for employees:

* Tell the bully to stop. Identify the objectionable behaviour, tell the bully not to do it again and say if the behaviour is repeated you will report it.

* Document that instance and every instance of bullying that follows. Include time and date, details of the incident, witnesses, to whom you reported it.

* Report the incident. Give a copy of your documentation to your supervisor, and demand action. If the supervisor is reluctant, point out that the employer is required by law to provide a safe and respectful workplace.

* If no action is taken, add that to the documentation.

If the employer doesn't act, you have reason to carry it further up the line - to your human resources department, your union, a labour lawyer, human rights tribunal, your provincial Labour Department or the federal Occupational Health and Safety Department.

Documentation is important because it shows a pattern of behaviour for the bully and a pattern of inaction by the employers.

But don't retaliate. It will make it difficult for an unbiased party later to determine who was the initial aggressor.

"Bullies have the knack of picking someone weak, who doesn't stand up for themselves. It's up to the organization to give them the strength," says Smith.

They can do that by:

* Identifying the risk in the workplace and recognize there are people who demonstrate abusive and aggressive behaviour.

* Educating employees about the risk.

* Minimizing the risk by instituting a no-tolerance policy and reporting process.

* Providing support and help to people affected.

Employers also need ongoing education to let employees know what the organization is doing to make them safe, both physically and psychologically.

Don't shrug it off. Developing such a system will ensure employees don't have to sue you to solve the problem - and if they do, you have some evidence that you have taken action.

And finally, some advice for bullies: "Bullying behaviour is learned behaviour," says Smith. "You can change your behaviour."

When you've been called on it, make it clear you did not intend any harm - and back that up by saying how you're addressing the behaviour.

Every Canadian is entitled to a safe and respectful workplace. Now, says Smith "there are precedents in case law to make employers more vigilant about safety. Nobody needs to be afraid to go to work.

Web watch: www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ psychosocial/bullying.html

www.bullyinginstitute.org www.bullybusters.org

What to Look For It's sometimes difficult for workers and employers to distinguish between bullying behaviour and a strong personal style or strict management.

One way to tell is whether the victims feel unable to do anything about the behaviour and unable to protect themselves. Bullying is a power issue, an attempt to control others through intimidation.

Aside from the more obvious behaviours - yelling, swearing, physical intimidation - look for:

* Ostracizing behaviour - not inviting someone to social events, neglecting to inform them of meetings, withholding information necessary for the victim to effectively do the job, gossip, rumours, etc.

* Manipulating workloads - constantly changing expectations; removing workload or substituting demeaning tasks so the victim feels useless; setting an impossible workload or deadline so the victim is bound to fail.

* Belittling victims - constant criticism or nitpicking, dismissing their opinions.

* Punishing behaviour - removing responsibilities without cause, blocking applications for training or promotion, or turning down applications for discretionary benefits (such as alternate work schedules).

* Disrespecting an employee's privacy.

(Sharon Adams can be reached at sharon@businessedge.ca)