I’ve been working here for 6 months and I’ve about had it.  My problem is one person who keeps picking on me.  Every day I get yelled at, sworn at, made fun of, called an “old fart” or ridiculed for my heritage.  Some of my work has been sabotaged.  I’ve repeatedly asked her to stop but that just makes it worse.  My co-workers say she’s just a bully and I’ll have to put up with it until she finds a new target.  My supervisor says that if I think I’m being harassed I can file a complaint with human resources, but I’d better be sure before I make that kind of accusation.  So what’s the difference between bullying and harassment?

Regardless of the label, the behavior you describe is unacceptable in a workplace and needs to be reported.  The following information will help you determine how to characterize your complaint.

The US Dept. of Labor & Industries defines bullying as “an on-going pattern of behavior that often involves an abuse or misuse of power.  Bullying includes behavior that intimidates, degrades, offends, or humiliates a worker, often in front of others.”  The National Center for Victims of Crime says that, if bullying includes physical or sexual harm or damage to property, makes you afraid to go to work, or disrupts the work day in a threatening way, it is also probably assault or harassment.

According to the Dept. of Workforce Development, “harassment becomes illegal and an equal employment opportunity matter when an employer, supervisor or co-worker harasses a person because of their race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, age (40 and up), disability, sex, arrest or conviction record, marital status, sexual orientation or membership in the military reserve.”  The behavior must be unwelcome (not solicited or incited by the recipient) and go beyond a few isolated incidents or casual comments; it involves a pattern of abusive and degrading conduct that interferes with a person’s work or create a hostile work environment.  Harassment may include verbal abuse, offensive labels, vulgar or derogatory language, displaying offensive cartoons or materials, mocking, lewd or offensive gestures and telling of jokes offensive to a protected class member.   For more information go to their website at www.dwd.state.wi.us.

Workplace bullying and harassment are destructive and expensive in terms of human and organizational costs.  Not dealing with these problems appropriately puts any organization, and its people, at great risk.

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