As you read the definitions below, notice each suggest that bullying generally requires repeated behavior, targeting and health-related harm.

MAPE

MAPE has an anti-bullying section in its Code of Conduct Policy affecting its Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, stewards, local and statewide officers, and local and statewide committee members. The union opposes workplace bullying and will work to eliminate its occurrences both within the workplace and MAPE. Bullying is defined as:

• Repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed toward an employee (or group of employees), which are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which creates a risk to the health or safety of the employee(s).

Workplace Bullying Institute

Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is:

• Threatening, humiliating or intimidating, or
• Work interference – sabotage – which prevents work from getting done, or
• Verbal abuse

Hennepin County Non-Discrimination and Respectful Workplace Policy

Workplace bullying is persistent behavior by a person or group that is threatening, humiliating and/or intimidating.

State of Washington – Department of Labor and Industry

Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an employee (or a group of employees), which are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which create a risk to the health or safety of the employee(s).

Examples of bullying behavior:

• Badgering
• Intimidation
• Yelling
• Minimizing
• Silent treatment
• Excluding and separating from others
• Embarrassment
• Ridiculing
• Sarcasm
• Humiliation
• Labeling or name calling
• Shaming
• Isolation

Examples that are not bullying behaviors on their own (may be accompanied by bullying behaviors):

• Management decisions you don’t agree with
• Having valid performance issues pointed out
• Getting turned down for a vacancy
• Work directives you dislike
• Not being selected for a special project
• Another employee receives favorable treatment
• Your idea is dismissed

In MAPE's work addressing hostile work environments, we have many times seen serious health effects on our members, resulting in time away from work, financial stress and personal distress. Aside from that, there are clear costs to employers due to this type of work environment.

Workplace bullying is harmful

Victims of bullying often experience significant physical and mental health problems. These can include:

• High stress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Financial problems due to absence
• Reduced self-esteem
• Phobias
• Sleep disturbances
• Increased depression/self-blame or
• Digestive problems

Because of this, bullied employees often use more sick leave than others or more than they used prior to being bullied. They are also more likely to experience problems at home, transfer to a different job or even quit their jobs. Emotional distress is almost always a resulting experience.

Workplace bullying also harms employers through increased costs and lower productivity. Increasingly, employers are recognizing these costs and have implemented anti-bullying policies.

Workplace bullying is costly

Workplace bullies can cost companies millions of dollars. According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry, the costs of bullying generally fall into four categories:

1. Replacing staff members that leave as a result of being bullied, cost of training new employees and loss of experience.
2. Work effort being displaced as staff cope with bullying incidents (i.e., effort being directed away from work productivity and toward coping).
3. Costs associated with investigations of ill treatment, potential legal action and loss of employer reputation.
4. Increased health, sick leave and workers compensation costs.

Ways bullying can affect you

Longstanding bullying has been proven to be extremely harmful to an employee’s health. For more information in regard to this, please visit the Workplace Bullying Institute.

... At work

• You constantly feel agitated and anxious.
• You wait in your car feeling ill, finally forcing yourself to go into work.
• You are always waiting for bad things to happen.
• Others at work have been told to stop. talking with you.
• You are being undermined by someone else’s personal agenda.
• Criticism are constant and unwarranted.

... Outside of work

• You obsess about work at home.
• Your doctor notices skyrocketing blood pressure and recent health problems.
• You feel ashamed of being controlled by another person at work.
• Your desire to do anything is gone on your days off from work.
• Your favorite activities are no longer enjoyable.
• You feel like throwing up the night before the start of your work week.

The Respectful Workplace Policy offers descriptions of disrespectful and/or unprofessional behavior:

• Shouting
• Abusive language
• Threats of violence
• Use of obscenities or other non-verbal expression of aggression
• Behavior that a reasonable person would find to be demeaning, humiliating or bullying
• Deliberately destroying, damaging or obstructing someone’s work performance, work product, tools or materials
• Use of this policy and procedure to make knowingly false complaints

When using the Respectful Workplace Policy, you will have the option to use the informal complaint process or the formal complaint process. The informal process creates a path for resolution of disrespectful and/or unprofessional behavior at the early stages. If you are experiencing legitimate bullying or working in an abusive environment, the task force encourages you to use the formal complaint process. The task force also urges you to contact a steward to help you along the process and document how it works for our members. The policy includes a sample complaint form, and MAPE has also developed our own complaint form (below) to ensure important data is documented and shared.

The Respectful Workplace Policy prohibits retaliation and MAPE recognizes if retaliation occurs, members feel too afraid to complain or assert their rights. Because of this, MAPE advocated for a strong anti-retaliation provision within the policy, which includes prohibiting retaliation any employee who:

• Initiates a complaint
• Reports an incident that may violate the policy
• Participates in an investigation related to a complaint
• Is associated or perceived to be associated with a person who initiates a complaint or participates in an investigation under the policy

Examples of retaliation behaviors include, but are not limited to:

• Excluding employees from work activity;
• Refusing to meet with or be near the employee (giving them the “cold shoulder”);
• Isolating the employee;
• Verbal abuse;
• Changing of work duties or work schedules without justification;
• Denying leave requests without justification;
• Continued harassment/escalated hostility; and
• Threats to job security and income.

What to do when facing a violation of the Respectful Workplace Policy, including bullying:

1. Contact your union
   When our members are facing bullying and/or abusive behaviors, they should reach out to a union steward, who can offer support and advice. As the new Respectful Workplace Policy is new, MAPE has developed a tracking system to gauge the experiences our members experience in utilizing the policy. Part of the reason for this is we expect to share with MMB what the policy is working well and what may need to be changed. To find your steward, click here. Please recognize that if you are going through this, you should not do so alone.
    
2. Determine if there are others who are affected?
   We know that many times even though it's an individual being bullied, there are coworkers who have been under the behaviors, have witnessed the behaviors or who know of members who have left because of the behaviors. Start a conversation with coworkers if possible, to get any shared experiences that may need to be brought to light.
    
3. Document the abusive behavior
   It is critical that you as a member have factual documented evidence of the behaviors that are negatively affecting you. Not only should you explain what happened in each situation, but also include dates, times and places the problematic behavior occurred. You should also provide the names of any witnesses, as well as names of past employees who you know left because they experienced the same behaviors. Document the impact the behaviors have on you work, health and personal life and provide any medical statements that may be relevant regarding the harmful effects these behaviors have had on you. To help you do this, MAPE offers this incident log: 
   Bullying incident log for members
     
4. ​​Utilize the Respectful Workplace Policy
   Take a look at the specific feature of this toolkit regarding The Respectful Workplace Policy, where you will find a copy of the policy and advice for its use.