Workplace abuse has been tolerated far too long in the United States and has reached epidemic proportions. Research in 2014 conducted by Dr. Gary Namie, co-founder and Director of Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI), indicates that 27 percent of all adult Americans have directly experienced workplace abuse and 21 percent have witnessed it, thus affecting an estimated 65 million Americans.
This violence in the workplace, defined by WBI as "abusive conduct that is threatening, intimidating, humiliating, work sabotage or verbal abuse," is meant to harm, discredit, undermine or sabotage the target, not for the benefit of the organization but purely for personal gain or satisfaction of the perpetrator. Surprisingly, while it is illegal to abuse children, spouses, elders and the disabled, abuse of workers is currently legal.
Many civilized nations have outlawed workplace abuse, including Canada, but the U.S. is lagging behind. In Utah, healthy workplace legislation was introduced every year from 2009 through 2012 to no avail. Healthy workplace advocates hope that 2015 will be the year to celebrate if a recent bill sponsored by Rep. Keven Stratton becomes law. HB216 Workplace Abusive Conduct Amendments is a modest bill that defines workplace abuse, requires education on the subject and a list of remedies available.
We can only hope that legislators will recognize abuse in the workplace for what it is, not merely uncivil or discourteous behavior, but calculated, intentional, repetitive and harmful actions by one who desires control. Opponents will say that discrimination laws are in place, but these laws apply only to individuals in protected classes such as gender, age, religion, or disability. Of those who file a discrimination lawsuit as a protected class, just 4 percent win their case. Abuse at work is four times more prevalent than illegal discrimination and only one in five cases of bullying is due to discriminatory conduct.
The dynamic of workplace abuse closely parallels that of domestic abuse where accusations of incompetence and worthlessness, disrespect and social isolation are tools used to boost the self-esteem of the perpetrator by "crushing" the target who is typically competent, successful, loyal and seeking to do good. This unacceptable behavior bestows significant costs on workers and their families, the organizations they work for and the communities they live in. Workplace abuse is a public health disaster.
In 2007, a survey by WBI-Zogby International found that 45 percent of targets identified stress-related health problems such as anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression, PTSD, migraine headaches, cardiovascular disease and auto-immune disorders. The longer the exposure to workplace violence, the more significant the harm. Forty-four percent of targets have suffered more than one year, and given the humiliation inflicted on a target, suicide is not unheard of.
Businesses are not immune to the ill effects of workplace abuse. They bear financial costs that are detrimental to the bottom line. Financial losses, extensive but ignored, result from absenteeism and presenteeism, increased costs of worker's compensation claims, health insurance, worksite accidents and employee turnover. Loss of worker morale, productivity and vitality are significant. The problem is drastically underreported, as 40 percent of targets never report abuse to their employer. When reports were made, employers did nothing 44 percent of the time, and 18 percent of the cases escalated. Meanwhile, perpetrators rarely suffer any consequences, as 72 percent are bosses.
HB 216 will not cure the problem but is a good start. A law against workplace abuse will give this social injustice recognition as a valid occupational and public health hazard. Education is the first step to ridding the workplace of unnecessary hatred and hostility. Every employee deserves the right to a workplace free of violence. It's a matter of dignity.
Cecily Light is a retired nurse practitioner in the Army Nurse Corps.