What Professional Women should know about Bullying and Harassment

None of us like to think about it but bullying and harassment in the workplace do happen. While sexual harassment is less of a problem than it used to be, most companies have less than adequate ways of dealing with bullies. As professional women we need to recognize the signs of bullying and harassment and know what to do.

Sexual harassment is fairly easy to recognize and can include any of the following

* Offensive jokes or remarks

* Pushing past in a way that forces physical contact

* Offers of promotion or pay increases for working 'overtime'

* Direct physical contact in a sexual manner

If any of these things are happening to you, it doesn't matter what position the offender holds: tell them loudly in front of others to STOP and that you do not like their behavior. Always stay calm and if need be ask for assistance from a colleague. If the behavior continues report them to HR.

Workplace bullying can be a little harder to recognize and is sometimes subtle. Unfortunately women are just as likely to be guilty of bullying as men. Bullying behavior can include (but is not limited to)

* Deliberately leaving someone 'out of the loop'

* Constantly telling off, or degrading a worker in public

* Interfering with the victims ability to work

* Deliberately sabotaging work or chances of promotion

* Snide remarks or 'evil' looks

* Deliberately not performing tasks such as signing off work, relaying phone calls or not passing on important information

* Creating impossible deadlines and overloading with work

* Ridiculing and undermining

* Threats of job loss, or reputation

* Ambiguous, ridiculing, or threatening e-mails

These are just some of the bullying behaviors that can occur. If you become a victim of workplace bullying you will know about it.

Many workplace bullies attack out of jealousy either personal or professional. Some of them feel threatened by another's skills and talents and so work to undermine them. A few bullies just seem to be naturally aggressive and consider this part of their 'style'.

As with sexual harassment, it is important that you stay calm if you are the victim of bullying. Running off to HR will probably get you labeled as being 'oversensitive' and you may to told to 'sort it out' for yourself.

The minute you experience any bullying behavior start documenting it. Keeping good documentation is one of the best ways to protect your self if things should escalate. If you have a trusted friend or colleague, discuss the problem with them. Always keep in mind that the bully has the problem, not you. Don't let them interfere with your productivity as you will want to be seen as professional at all times. Be ready to take matters further if you need to.

It is unfortunate that among professional women there are a few who choose be less than professional in their actions. Men who bully at work tend to be overt in their actions, while women are more subtle and so more difficult to deal with if they decide to bully. Know what your rights are and be prepared to deal with any harassment and bullying in a professional manner.

Please note: NAPW allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to our blog. This and other blog posts in no way reflects the views of the National Organization of Professional Women.

Getting Along with a Difficult Boss

It is difficult enough to deal with a challenging coworker, but when the abrasive personality belongs to your boss, the situation can become nearly impossible. There are many different types of bad bosses in the workplace, from the micromanager who is constantly looking over your shoulder to the absentee boss who is never around to provide direction or assistance. Some professional women even find themselves working for abusive managers, who appear to get off on yelling at and belittling their staff. If you are in the midst of professional women's issues because of a difficult boss, read on for tips to improve your office environment.

Pinpoint the Problem

Before professional women can address the issues, they must determine precisely what those issues are and how they affect work performance. The micromanager who is constantly involved with your daily activities may be creating professional women's issues by slowing you down or preventing you from using creativity to produce the best product possible. If your boss is never around, you may be unsure of how to prioritize your work. Abusive bosses affect an employee's self esteem, which can directly affect job performance and create a host of other professional women's issues.

Talk to Your Boss

No one likes confrontation, but talking to your boss about the issues in a calm, professional manner just might result in a better work environment. Do not get personal in your conversation; instead, focus on how your work performance is affected by his actions and assure him you want to do the best job you can for him. Explain the problem clearly and be specific when stating your needs. If you are lucky, you just might get the requested changes from this first meeting.

Go Up the Ladder

If the situation doesn't improve, or if your boss's abuse is enough to affect your life outside of work as well, it may be time to climb the corporate hierarchy. The choices of professional women in this situation are to talk to a boss's supervisor or the human resources manager about the problem. Approach this step with caution, since your boss may resent you for disclosing the problem to his superiors and create other professional women's issues to deal with. However, taking this step may be necessary to get the changes you are hoping for.

Recruit Support

If you don't see changes to your boss's behavior after talking to higher-ups, it may be time to rally the troops. If you believe your officemates are having similar problems with this boss, bring them together to approach your boss's supervisor together. This will let management know the full extent of the impact your boss's behavior is having, and it may bring about results more effectively than your solo efforts.

Start Looking

If these steps do not resolve the situation, you will then need to decide if you are willing to live with the situation. If the problems at work are beginning to affect your health or personal life, it may be time to move on. Your options are to seek a transfer within your company or apply for a new job with a different organization. Bad bosses who impact the life of professional women beyond the workplace are simply not worth it over the long haul.

Please note: NAPW, The National Association of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to our blog. These articles in no way reflect the views of NAPW.