No one likes a bully. They’re especially unacceptable in the workplace, too. Today’s companies are stepping up beyond the basics of harassment protections to now also include ethics policy clauses about inappropriate workplace bullying. And while the situations on the job might not involve giving up your lunch money, they can lead to toxic work environments, higher employee turnover, and lost revenue. See why your company ethics policies should include definitions and protections against workplace bullying.

The definition of workplace bullying

By definition, workplace bullying is any persistent pattern of workplace behaviors that results in some kind of physical or emotional mistreatment. Yes, it also falls under harassment. But bullying can be more targeted and harder to pinpoint. It can include a host of unwanted or unwarranted behavior, like exaggerated eye rolling, caustic remarks, or passive-aggressive insults. Bullying can also include more subtle acts, like forming cliques within the workplace, management favoritism, and work-related plagiarism.

Develop an ethics policy to combat workplace bullying

As you consider new language within your company ethics policies to address workplace bullying, you can take a page from the SHRM playbook for basics to include:

· Definitions: Provide concise definitions for workplace bullying, including verbal, physical, gesture, and exclusion.

· Examples: Cite examples to demonstrate what a bullying act looks like on the job so employees can better identify them.

· Expectations: Outline the precise consequences of confirmed workplace bullying, highlighting your company’s intolerance for such activities.

Educate your teams on how to remedy instances of bullying in the workplace

Once you define and outline a zero-tolerance policy for bullying in the workplace, you’ll want to educate your employees and staff on what to do if they experience or witness it. This is mission-critical since it drives actionable next steps to combat workplace bullying. Here are a few methods for rolling out an anti-bullying policy and gaining support from everyone in your workforce:

· Host employee training: Host official training initiatives, either in-person or via mandatory webinars, to discuss your new position on anti-bullying and steps to take should there be instances of bullying.

· Set up anti-bullying officers: Consider delegating neutral parties within your company, managers or supervisors with existing exemplary records of colleague trust, as dedicated anti-bullying officers to help enforce, guide, and report those who have acts to report.

· Amend employee handbooks: Include updated language in all employee handbooks and support those changes with emails and paper announcements to document the reporting process.

Incorporate an ethics hotline

One of the most effective ethics enforcement measures is the ethics hotline. This method allows anyone, including your staff, vendors, customers, and workplace visitors to anonymously report any instances of ethical violations. Incorporate an ethics hotline for your business to support your anti-bullying (and other ethics policies) companywide. Other benefits of an ethics hotline include:

· 24/7 availability to report issues or concerns

· Complete anonymity for those reporting

· Improved company culture

· Ethics-related data and analytics

· Early detection of any ethical concerns

· Cost-savings

Make Ethical Advocate your first call

If you’re ready to incorporate a new ethics policy and hotline to support your business’ anti-bullying efforts, Ethical Advocate can help. Connect with our ethics team to develop your strategy for rollout and implementation. And be confident that workplace bullying won’t take hold in your working environments.