Nearly 70% of female employees in the South African workplace are bullied by other women in authority, fuelled by insecurity, narcissism, toxic work culture and power dynamics.
Workplace bullying is set to come under the spotlight at the Bullying and Harassment Summit on March 28 in Randburg, Johannesburg.
Toto Geza, recently appointed head of the South African Anti-Bullying Institute, says while there's limited research on the prevalence of workplace bullying, various studies indicate that bullying is “very prevalent in workplaces”.
A research report by the SA Journal of Human Resources Management found that 31% of employees sampled had experienced some form of bullying.
Experts say bullying is widespread across most sectors of the economy.
According to Schoeman Law Inc, under South Africa’s Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, bullying in the workplace is considered a form of unfair discrimination and is strictly prohibited. The law firm says beyond legal obligations, bullying harms employees’ wellbeing, productivity and the overall work environment.
“Statistics indicate 31% of the workforce have experienced bullying, there's further information that suggests 65% workplace bullies are in leadership roles, that 70% of those bullied leave their jobs and that 68% of victims are female employees who are bullied by other women in authority,” said Geza.
He said the summit will raise awareness about the complexities of bullying, its impact on victims and the importance of creating safe workplaces.
“We will provide a platform for experts, practitioners and policymakers to share best practices, experience including strategies on how to best prevent bullying and foster collaboration.”
Geza, a long-time champion of anti-bullying, said based on his experience interacting with victims, most have been afraid to speak out for various reasons including fear of reprisals, victimisation and “even termination of their employment which they see as career limiting”.
“This unfortunately leads to a culture of silence where victims suffer in silence and feeds into low statistics due to non-reporting.”
Workplace culture that is toxic can foster bullying tendencies. Research suggests 65% of bullies are leaders and that bullying is more prevalent to those who seem powerless
— Toto Geza, head of the South African Anti-Bullying Institute
Geza said he has recently dealt with two incidents of workplace bullying.
“A junior office assistant has alleged her line manager was bullying and harassing to the extent that she literally shakes and gets sick whenever he walks into her office. She alleged that she has been belittled in front of colleagues, told to come back to work while on sick leave and as a result she is now on antidepressants.”
The woman has reported the matter to the human resources department, but “with little joy”.
“Meetings promised to her to facilitate mediation have not been met to date. She is considering resigning from her job.”
Geza said the other case involves a manager who claims she “was sidelined and made to feel as if she was not part of the management team and felt isolated”.
“Efforts to bring this to the attention of the employer were frustrated, instead corridor remarks that attacked her person and integrity became a norm. She eventually could not take it and terminated her employment.”
Geza said various factors drive bullying behaviour including insecurities and low self-esteem.
“Feeling inadequate or threatened by others tend to result in bullying behaviour.
“Personality traits such as narcissism and psychopathy also tend to be associated with this behaviour. Workplace culture that is toxic can foster bullying tendencies. Research suggests 65% of bullies are leaders and that bullying is more prevalent to those who seem powerless.”
He also blamed poor leadership and lack of policies.
“While some companies are doing their level best to implement policies that seek to prevent and manage workplace bullying, some are struggling to address this issue and therefore can still do more.”
Geza believes for companies to better address the issue, the development and implementation of antibullying policies are vital.
“Employers need to ensure that they provide adequate training and awareness for their employees. They must encourage a culture of respect and open communication and ensure proper systems are in place to investigate reported incidents, with clear consequences for perpetrators.”
According to Schoeman Law Inc, bullying encompasses a range of behaviours that create a hostile work environment which include:
- inappropriate targeted practical jokes;
- threats;
- humiliation;
- unjust criticism;
- excessive performance monitoring;
- continued denial of time off requests without a valid reason;
- unclear or unreasonable deadlines;
- sending harsh e-mails or messages; or
- verbal abuse.
“Employers are legally responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. Failure to fulfil this obligation constitutes an infringement. As a result, the employer may be liable to pay damages or compensation to the victim of bullying,” said Schoeman Law Inc.
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