Thanks Foyle, CTan and Chainsmoker,

I understand some people have come to the discussion of workplace bullying from a political mindset. Hard to escape that and I did make mention of the IR laws, deregulation, etc.

My gut feeling is that there are many 'little office Hitler's' on the rise - and it doesn't matter if they're from small business or trade unions. I'm not talking about the 'pain in the bum' boss but 'Aliens' in suits (or hard hats). They are workplace assassins.

You guys have mentioned three examples. The complete workplace psycho seems to thrive in organisations which have distinct heirarchies such as the military and the public service (or call centres). Temps also seem to be cannon fodder.

I was wondering whether they are born like that (?) or whether the organisational environment acts as a trigger for them to run amok?

The example of the pregnant woman who needed a Drs cert because she needed more toilet breaks is telling. Absolutely no empathy or regard for staff. Yet why are they so successful?

Cheryl aka Malcolm King

To exist and flourish, workplace bullying must be sanctioned from the top down. It is systemic and there is no way to avoid its tentacles, you either 'suck-up' and cop it or go down.

The best advice one can give an employee is to always have some other irons in the fire and the CV ready. Timely flight, ie at the first realisation that something is awry in the work area, is the reasonable alternative and if that means taking a lesser job elsewhere and working up the ladder again then so be it.

Asking questions, going to HR (shudder), attempting to 'go around' the bully or taking the so-called grievance procedures will certainly diminish an employee's job, prospects and life. Just quietly (important!) and urgently seek a life elsewhere.

The IR changes under Howard made workplace bullying infinitely easier, but that was intended, right?

My most miserable work place experience was at Coles Myer, it was so bad that I ended up at a psychologist where I learned other clients were from the same work place. The organisation harrassed staff into quitting so they couldn't claim redundancy payments. I watch the breakup of the conglomerate with mild amusement and caution Wesfarmers to bust the culture if they want to remain successful.

Did any one else see that many small businesses fail to make superannuation payments on behalf of their employees, and the numbers of non-complying businesses is rising. That's not bullying that's stealing.

If you hunt round Perth now you can find the complete Joe McDonald video and its really easy to see why the boss is still under police investigation

C Tan. I made some public complaints about the education of my children and their treatment by some teachers and boy have my family paid the price.

For over 6 years we have been 'paid back'. It is irrelevant to the system that I have clear evidence to support my family’s allegations that my children are being systematically victimized, bullied, neglected, vilified and discriminated against by psychopaths in power in the education system and that there is a conspiracy to cover up. Had I had any idea that this would happen I would have just left the public system, homeschooled my kids or put them in private schools and never looked back. I was naive, I believed them when they said that if you have any issues to put them forward.

The process that they use to handle allegations and complaints ensures that those that you allege are responsible are the ones that handle the complaint against themselves, and they present whatever picture and documents they want to present and they know that the process is set up so that it will not be challenged. Whatever those you allege are responsible present is accepted on face value, those that complain only ever get to present their concerns to those about whom they complain. There is no such thing as procedural fairness and natural justice.

My family is taking the DET to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal to have documents that we received under FOI amended to reflect the truth as they present lies to everybody so nobody acts on the matter. This has allowed those in the system to continue to target and victimise my children year after year, even targeting my younger children coming up the grades, so we present distressed and with a story to tell that is hard to believe.

I feel for you as I understand how this process works and how it impacts on your life.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/
Our children deserve better

To Cheryl,

I would argue that bullying and other unfair personnel management practices are usually symptoms of broader systemic corruption.

That is, bullying is a chosen strategy (not an end in itself) because of its unique advantages to the person with power. In such systems bullying can be a time-filling parlour game (keeps staff 'under thumb') as well as being an enabler of otherwise 'problematic' (eg against regulations) decisions and a vital, proactive defense against those who might lift the veil, however innocently.

To elaborate, a boss is in the ideal situation to defraud the organisation and to convert its assets to his/her own use. Through bullying and encouraging subordinate managers to do the same s/he has an ideal means of avoiding scrutiny and audit trails. As a bonus all subordinate managers feel fearful and implicated enough to shut up.

It should come as no surprise that bosses who bully also use 'divide and conquer' to scatter any opposition.

A convenient defence of the corrupt boss is to later deny knowledge of decisions and to claim that s/he trusted the advice of the 'experts' under him/her. This would not be possible where decisions relied upon the legitimate use of authority and delegations and an audit trail is available. Maybe the existence of management bullying should be a red flag for auditors!

Of course there will always be some supervisors and peers who bully through personality problems but that would only be acceptible in the short term while it contributed to the boss's bottom line (accepting that keeping employees unsettled can also be seen by some bosees as contributing to the bottom line).

To summarise, bullying is something that usually occurs where other corruption, possibly criminal, is already in place.

There are plenty of 'normal' people who for survival or advantage are willing to flex their principles and the are celebrated examples of this. Although, speaking in their defence, maybe some wouldn't have gone along so easily had they been forced to confront the system's excesses from the outset.

"I am glad you are 'a very tolerant person'. Your reation to my post does not indicate that. I am glad you are not my judge as you accuse me of having a hatred for people. If that is the case I am in big strife."

LOL Runner. Point taken and noted, although I now see just how easy it is to put a very slight twist on someone's words and give a whole new meaning. I didn't actually say I was "a very tolerant person." I said I was "usually" a very tolerant person. In my earlier post, I wasn't showing empathy or tolerance, but I'd rather not apologise just yet. It's just that post after post, you seem to come across as very angry, particularly when someone says something against the Coalition Government.
Just why are you so staunchly Coalition/John Howard? Have you ever had a good word to say for the opposition? Do you really believe that the Howard led Government is the better economic managers they say they are? Were you beaten up by a union thug? Were you beaten up by your father who was a union thug?

Runner, you sometimes make some very good points, but I beg you, do try a little harder to come across in a more understanding manner. People from all political persuasions post on this site and most of them attempt to provide a level headed discussion. Maybe you're not really that angry. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that it's simply the way you write that leads me to believe you hold a terrible hatred of members of the opposition and those who uphold their values. Cheers.