Give Me Your Lunch Money!

Bring up the topic of bullying and most people will conjure images of the classic school bully strong-arming their classmates for some "extra spending cash". Unfortunately though, bullying may not go away permanently along with the end of childhood. A growing number of employees are speaking up about subtle and overt bullying they have experienced in the workplace. The Workplace Bullying Institute defines bullying as:

repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms: 

• Verbal abuse

• Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating

• Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done

Many of us can attest to being either witness or victim of a workplace bully and can provide several examples. In fact a CBS News article, How to Handle a Workplace Bully, cites a 2007 study where half of U.S. workers state they have "experienced or witnessed some kind of bullying on the job".  Some bullies are quite hard to pinpoint and address and might be those employees labeled "difficult" to work with. For example, I worked with an employee who had been with the organization for several years. She was knowledgeable about her position but was also easily offended when given any direction or, even, when asked a question about her processes. She would then "freeze out" the offending person who dared ask a question. On occasion, she would have loud outbursts of anger at other employees. The result - employees whose processes were closely tied with hers would come to me and request that I act as mediator. The employees felt trepidatious around her.

Bullying has a wide range of negative effects for both the organization and the employees. For the organization the existence of bullying can mean lower productivity, higher turnover, higher training costs, and increased potential for legal action. Employees being bullied may experience stress-related ailments.

The best way to reduce bullying in the workplace? Make it a less conducive atmosphere for bullies. In the example I gave above the long-term employee had been allowed to display bullying tendencies for several years without firm consequences. This implied that it was an accepted behavior in the organization. Proactively put a policy in place that defines bullying, indicates the reporting process, and outlines that disciplinary action will be taken on employees found to be bullying. For some great information and a sample policy check out the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries' fact sheet on bullying.

Facebook Won't Keep Your Secrets

Many of us have griped about a bad day at work but many people are using Facebook and other social media sites to share their frustrations rather than utilize other avenues. Recently, the Wall Street Journal contained an article highlighting the increase in litigation stemming from loose fingers. The article, Workers Claim Right To Rant on Facebook, states that "more than 100 employers have been accused by workers over the last 12 months of improper activity related to social media practices or policies". 

There is a distinction, however, between mere griping and discussions made with the goal of improving working conditions. The National Labor Relations Board states that "mere complaining isn't protected" according to the Journal article.  The article goes on to offer a few guidelines from the NLRB as to what constitutes protected employee behavior. For additional examples of cases involving social media employee complaints, try this article from Smart HR Manager: "Social Media: NLRB Says Employees' Job Complaints on Facebook Are Protected". On the employee side, here are some tips from CNN Living: "Can Facebook Get You Fired?". 

How best to address this? Well, the Smart HR Manager article gives you a clue when they indicate the company "did not establish that the employees violated any of its policies or rules" - have a clearly defined policy in place and ensure all employees have read the policy, agree to it, and provide training regarding procedures for handling employee complaints.

Cultivating a Happy Culture

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, states that he likes to place focus on work/life integration rather than work/life separation. The idea is that we really don't (nor can we truly) separate our work lives entirely from our personal lives - maybe a solution to an issue at work comes to you in the shower or you find you need to interrupt your workday to attend an event at your child's school - either way each part of your life is integrated into the other.

The key to making this work is to cultivate a culture of fun and creativity. This doesn't have to mean a business where it's all play and no work. Hsieh recognizes the value in making work a place you actually look forward to coming to each day - imagine that! Of course there must be boundaries, but boundaries can ensure the safety and protection of both the employees' rights and the company's mission while allowing for a little fun. Take a look below at the Time.com interview with Hsieh to catch a glimpse of what a happy culture looks like.

Keep 'Em Happy And The Rest Will Follow

Employee perks - two words that you don't often hear together when corporate coffers are tightly locked. While it is true that the first benefits to be placed on the chopping block when the economy heads for the deep end are tertiary benefits, making the effort to offer low-cost perks can reap considerable rewards for a company. Certainly, the retention of talented employees can offer a competitive advantage in any economic climate. Lower turnover relates to less spent on new-hire training. Employees in a company that offers perks are more apt to stay loyal to the company once the economy gets above water. The 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends puts it best:

This year’s findings reveal a workforce that has grown more dissatisfied and disloyal, to the point where one in three employees hopes to be working elsewhere in the next twelve months. Yet employers do not appear to be tuned in to this potential flight risk. Focused on the challenging business environment, employers remain confident of strong levels of employee job satisfaction and loyalty. A loyal and satisfied workforce is part of the foundation of business growth. Widening cracks in this foundation may force employers to pay a price in reduced retention and productivity when the job market improves.

Perks can be lofty, such as those offered by Clif Bar: generous merchandise discounts, on-site gym, concierge service, reimbursement for "going green" via up to $500 in reimbursement for purchasing a commuter bicycle, and an on-site restaurant. Perks can also run toward the frugal end such as those that are low to no-cost; a sampling includes:

• relaxing the dress code (e,g, allowing business casual everyday)
• free snacks
• allowing employees to bring a pet to work (designated "dog days")
• job sharing/flexible scheduling
• a wellness program
• education plan (lower cost professional development courses, integrated with a succession plan) 

For additional ideas take a look at articles from HR World: Building Company Loyalty With Unusual Benefits or 25 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Spending a Dime).

A Tech-Connected Employee is a Happy Employee

You begin the day by checking your iPad for emails and respond while sipping your morning brew. You then take a call from one of your staff while on your way into work (after pulling off the road, of course). Once you get to work you jump onto your computer, update yourself on what's going on in the organization, and spend the rest of the morning pulling and analyzing some reports. You then grab your laptop and head into an afternoon meeting. On the way home for the day you might make a call to a work associate before arriving home. While watching television you jump onto your iPad and decide to check email one last time. Sound like a few days in your life? Today's issue of The Wall Street Journal contained a point/counterpoint article regarding the use of personal electronic devices for completing work-related tasks. The article, entitled Should Employees Be Allowed to Use Their Own Devices for Work?, takes the opposing positions of inevitability versus legality. 

Often, employees' personal devices are newer, faster, and easier to use than the technology available at the office. As John Parkinson, managing director of ParkWood Advisors, states: "They're being asked to do more work outside the office; why should they be saddled with the office technology at home?" Erik Sherman, blogger for CBS Moneywatch, does not feel this is a compelling enough reason to allow usage of personal devices for work. Sherman asks "Has anyone undertaken a study that actually showed employees to be more productive because they choose the type of computer, smartphone or tablet they used?"

What about cost savings? When a company leaves it up to the employee to purchase their own devices (by reimbursing a set amount or a percentage based on usage) the company is freeing up capital it can then use in other areas. Or at least that's the general idea. When employees are allowed to use their personal devices for both work and recreation, the potential for unwanted viruses or glitches increases. This can tap the IT department even more and negate any cost savings. 

How about the privacy issue? Loosening up restrictions on personal devices also makes an organization more vulnerable to violations of privacy laws, leaks of proprietary information, and a host of related legal issues. So, what to do?

Go proactive (no, not the skin clearing regimen, the actual practice) and ensure your organization addresses these concerns in policy. Clearly outline what is acceptable usage and let employees know that the organization has the right to monitor "anyone who connects to your business network, regardless of whose device they are using" as Parkinson outlines. 

I leave you with one final quote, this one from John Zappe, blogger for the recruiting community ere.net who noted results from a CareerXroads survey: The "survey found only 20 percent of policies were written by HR, but 100 percent of them will sooner or later involve HR."