That's Fit

Several years I worked with a man who was this vibrant, funny, gregarious guy. He knew his job in and out and you could always count on him to help you out in a pinch. He had been at the company for years and was generally well-liked and respected. Then, one day, he told an inappropriate joke to a co-worker. The joke wasn't about her, he didn't mean to offend... but offend he did. It was unprofessional and out-and-out wrong for him to tell that joke. The company had a zero tolerance policy and he was fired. For sexual harassment. Myself and many co-workers were shocked and outraged because we knew this guy didn't mean to offend. But, with an admirable grace, the man who was just fired apologized for having poor judgment and stated that "working for a company that takes such a strong stance against sexual abuse is a good place to be."

Sexual harassment has become less and less acceptable in the workplace. But another type of harassment exists. One that is still allowable in many work environments, but yet even schools recognize the effects of it. Bullying. Plain old bullying. According to a Canadian study bullying, constant criticism, and incivility can be more harmful to employees than sexual abuse.

Researchers reviewed 110 studies conducted over a 21 year period. Workers who faced bullying or interpersonal conflict were more likely to quit, reported more stress, were unhappy with their jobs, and had impaired relationships with their bosses. More so, even, than workers who faced sexual harassment.

Researchers surmise that the added stress may be a cause of not wanting to report the bullying behavior. After all, as adults, we're expected to be able to deal with such behavior. Also, what if the disparaging behavior is coming from your boss? How do you manage that? As difficult and potentially embarrassing as dealing with sexual harassment may be, there are more guidelines in place for reporting that in today's society. Reporting bully-like behavior, though... once you're out of high school there's not a lot of tolerance for that.

I've never had to report sexual harassment. But I can only imagine how incredibly difficult it must be to be in that position. I would hope that if I did experience sexual harassment I would report it right away. But feeling harassed by a co-worker? Well, I've been in that position more than once and it never even occurred to me to report it. But it should be reported. If you've unsuccessfully attempted to soothe the waters between you and a co-worker who's causing you grief and you're still feeling stressed, by all means take a tip from this study and report the situation.