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The Hostile Work Environment

By S. Edmonds Abstract

Takeaways

Hostile work environment Hostile work environments have increasingly become one of the top issues that managers face as a roadblock to a productive and healthy workforce. The effects of Workplace bullying a hostile work environment have been compared to a cancer that creeps slowly Organizational failure throughout the organization, until it becomes the accepted culture of a particular workplace. Psychological violence and harassment is becoming increasingly costly to an organization in terms of lost production, increased healthcare costs, high staff turnover, lawsuits, worker's compensation and disability claims, and employee apathy and disconnect. Human resource professionals should be cognizant of hostile work environments in order to eliminate highly volatile situations that are economically costly to their respective organizations. Introduction Hostile work environments have been a hot topic and on the forefront of many union agendas since the Post Office massacres that began over a decade ago. It was at this point in time that employees, management, and union officials alike realized that something needed to be done about an insidious workplace problem called hostile work environments. Psychological violence is a term used to describe harassment and bullying behaviors that are not physical, but mental in nature. When asked what it is like to work in a hostile work environment it has been described as entering the bullring (Gunn & Gullickson, 2007). It is very difficult for an employee to be effective and productive when they are constantly on guard. In order for a person to feel linked to their environments and perform at peak levels, they need to feel connected and have a sense of belonging. When alienated, an individual will soon lose their connectedness to their peers, management and the organization as a whole. When employees disengage from a hostile working environment, they are simply going through the motions while at work. According to Gunn & Gullickson (2007), individuals focus their time 'stuffing' the negative energy rather than focusing on productive energy. In undergraduate research it was discovered that when individuals are exposed to high amounts of stress or low levels of continuous stress, the chemicals produced by the body put a person in fight or flight mode. Essentially this reduces all higher-level thinking and rational thought. Employees may find it difficult to concentrate or to learn new tasks. They may make many careless errors and have difficulty retaining information. Stress hormones play a significant role in suppressing memory. If one considers that trauma victims sometimes cannot remember the actual trauma, this becomes more clear in considering a hostile work environment and its effect on individual employees. What is psychological harassment? What is psychological harassment? There are many different ways to describe and define psychological harassment but the best definition can be described in the following manner: Psychological harassment is defined as the repeated and persistent attack on one or more people with the intention of tormenting, annoying, frustrating, provoking, intimidating, humiliating, undermining, overruling and any other kind of behavior that seeks to professionally and personally incapacitate someone (Lopez-Cabarcos & Vasquez-Roridguez, 2006). These behaviors can occur one-on-one, or may take the form of mobbing in which several individuals gang up on one person. Mobbing is a term that relates to the phenomenon of bullying but is specific to workplaces. It is a form of systematic psychological harassment in workplaces whereby one worker is "ganged up" on and stigmatized by colleagues or superiors through rumor, innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, discrediting, and isolation (Girardi, Monoco, Prestigiacomo, & Talamo, 2007). Effects of hostile work environments on the organization How does a hostile work environment affect an organization? Lost productivity, absenteeism, increased use of healthcare benefits, and reduced morale are a few examples of the monetary loss associated with allowing this type of work environment to continue. High employee turnover and the need to replace and train new workers is an expenditure that companies simply cannot afford in this ever-increasing global economy. The quantity and quality of work produced is substantially compromised if psychological violence in the workplace is not addressed and eradicated (Lopez-Cabarcos & Vasquez-Roridguez, 2006). There is a general increase in workplace violence and overall trends are beginning to be troublesome for human resource professionals who seek to find resolutions. Some of the more recent causes in the upsurge of on-the-job violence include outsourcing, downsizing, automation, increased job pressures and demands, and a lack of job security (Hoobler & Swanberg, 2006). In addition, there are tremendous costs to the organization when dealing with workplace violence and aggression. These include extending psychological care for employees, increases in worker's compensation claims, lawsuits, high employee turnover, reduced productivity, lower employee commitment, and having to repair a battered public image (Hoobler & Swanberg, 2006). This is just a small sampling of how a hostile work environment contributes to major monetary and human capitol loss

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within an organization. What behaviors might indicate harassment? One question that may come to mind are the types of behaviors that are associated with psychological violence and a hostile work environment. Lopez and Vasquez (2006) have identified a partial list of common behaviors or acts. Examples of psychological harassment can include: -They do not give me useful information or purposely give me incorrect information -They are overly critical of, and negatively evaluate my work on a consistent basis -They do not speak to me in front of others and reject my attempts at conversation -They restrict my professional promotion and undervalue my professional efforts -They accuse me of various mistakes and errors -They try to demoralize me and lower my self esteem -They partake in slander with other people What do the perpetrators of psychological violence look like? Many aggressive individuals have a drug or alcohol problem that may mask deeper psychological issues such as mood disorders and/or sociopathic personality disorders. These individuals tend to have an extremely negative attitude, with hostility thinly veiled behind vindictive veneer smiles (Field, 1996). According to Lopez & Vasquez (2006), perpetrators are more likely to be men and more likely to be in a superior position to the victim. Harassment is the abuse of power. It is interesting to note that many women are unaware that they have been the victims of psychological harassment. Until this phenomenon is widely addressed and discussed, many people will feel the repercussions of a hostile work environment, but will not be able to put a name to what is happening to them. Effects of hostile work environment on victims How does a hostile work environment and psychological violence affect the individuals who are victims of this sinister trend? Victims experience numerous psychological and physical symptoms. Some of the effects of psychological violence include headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, increased blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty concentrating, crying spells, insecurity and loss of self-esteem (Girardi et al., 2007) It may be difficult for some individuals to determine whether they have been the victims of psychological violence because they have never experienced it before. According to Field (1996), effects of psychological violence can be quite profound and include not only psychological symptoms, but also a myriad of physical symptoms that are stress related. Some of these symptoms include aching joints, migraines, disturbed sleep, frequent infections due to stress related lowered immunity, unusual hormonal changes, teeth grinding and angina/heart attack. A complete list of common physical symptoms for someone who has been psychologically harassed is displayed in Table 1. Precursors to a hostile work environment Human resource professionals are seeing an increase in workplace aggression and hostility. Many are wondering where this increase in hostile work environments is coming from. According to Bandow & Hunter (2007), there are many causes, which include increases in workplace stress, ineffective communication, increases in workload and job responsibility, organizational change, lack of job security and unpleasant working conditions. With increases in technology, globalization and uncertain economic times, organizations may be placing unreasonable demands on their employees without addressing stress relief measures. Increased working hours and decreased leisure time may also be contributing to the trend of hostile work environments. Balancing work and family has been an increasing employee concern in recent decades. The days in which mom stayed home and cared for the family are remnants of a bygone era. This generation has seen a dramatic rise in dual income families where time is a dwindling resource. Health is also a major concern as Americans are showing higher rates of obesity, heart disease and other health and stress related disorders. A hostile work environment may be the result of only one individual or may be the result of many who have come to acculturate these types of behaviors as the norm. They can often take a kill or be killed attitude when it comes to survival in the workplace. Even individuals, who may be active community leaders and generally good people outside of work, might feel pressured to perpetuate the hostile work environment to avoid becoming a victim himself or herself. This relative conflict could become quite stressful to the individual who either adopts the hostile work behaviors, or finds that they themselves become a victim at the receiving end of harassing behaviors.

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Sexual harassment Another form of psychological violence that can produce a dismally hostile working environment for women is sexual harassment. According to Willness, Steel & Lee (2007), sexual harassment may not be a limited experience, but part of a whole syndrome of incivilities that an individual may become the victim of. Typically, sexual harassment co-exists with other forms of maltreatment, and may just be one form of psychological harassment that an individual may use to intimidate another employee. There is much current research on bullying and psychological harassment that is used in accordance with the study of sexual harassment. It still falls into the realm of psychological violence and contributes to a hostile work environment. The issue discussed among researchers is whether one group of individuals is more susceptible to psychological violence than other groups. Females tend to be the victims of sexual harassment more often than not, but that is not always the case. For the sake of argument, let us refer to women as the primary victims of sexual harassment. Through undergraduate internship experience, I have come to understand that rape is not a crime of sex but about the abuse of power and control, domination and subjugation. The same is true of sexual harassment. The factors that lead to the perpetuation of sexual harassment may be the same as those that perpetuate a general hostile work environment. First, there has to be a climate that is ripe for sexual harassment to take place. What makes a climate ripe for sexual harassment? 1. A lack of policy against sexual harassment 2. A lack of sanctions against perpetrators of sexual harassment 3. A perception that the complaint will not be taken seriously 4. A perception that complaining will bring about adverse actions to the victim (Willness et al., 2007). ADA and harassment issues An interesting concept to consider is that the mention of harassment usually conjures up the notion of sexual harassment without regard to other forms of harassment. Myers (2006), notes that much thought and preparation has gone into the prevention of sexual harassment but other forms of harassment are generally not recognized and dealt with. There is growing evidence that employers will be liable under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if all forms of harassment are not strictly prohibited within an organization. Many hidden disabilities such as depression, dyslexia and HIV can become just cause for litigation if harassment occurs. According to Myers (2006), 43 million people have a disability that is covered under ADA. The focus cannot solely lie in the sexual harassment arena if employers want to protect the organization from harassment lawsuits. Organizational culture and hostile work environments Of particular concern are the social ramifications when there are no sanctions regarding particular undesirable behaviors within an organization. If perpetrators know there are no repercussions for their behavior, they will be more apt to commit and repeat the offensive behavior. In addition, what message is it sending other employees who witness these hostile and threatening behaviors? It tells the victim that nothing will be done if they come forward, and it tells potential perpetrators that this behavior is acceptable. In the United States, there are currently sexual harassment laws and policies that govern this type of conduct in the workplace. There are no laws that govern other forms of psychological harassment in the U.S. In Europe, where most of the research on bullying can be obtained, there are laws against psychological violence, general on-the-job incivilities, and harassment not based on protected class. To date, psychological harassment is perfectly acceptable behavior in many organizations; there are no laws to regulate it. It is interesting to note that sexual harassment, which is a form of psychological violence, is illegal but other forms of workplace harassment are not unless directed against a protected group of individual. Some protected activities include racial discrimination and reprisal based on gender. General psychological harassment and abuse is still legal in the United States, while most European countries have deemed it illegal (Field, 1996). It makes an individual wonder why the public is not protected from unethical, abusive and hostile work environments, and why these acts are only illegal if perpetrated upon a protected class of citizen. Cultures of violence are the norm for some organizations that do not take hostile work environments seriously. Instead of finding aggressive and psychologically violent behaviors reprehensible, these behaviors are inadvertently promoted, as apathy runs deep within the culture of the organization. Psychological violence and aggressive incivilities become the norm rather than the exception. According to Hoobler & Swanberg (2006), government workers are no stranger to violence. They comprise 16 percent of the workforce but government employees made up 37 percent of the violent incidents in the workplace. Incivilities start out small and seem to escalate in a downward spiral of subhuman behavior. In prior undergraduate coursework, the behaviors that lend to psychological violence tend to be sociopathic in nature. The individuals who perpetrate these behaviors tend to lack basic impulse control, empathy, and show little remorse for their actions or the effects of their behavior on others. Organizational culture tends to set the stage for desired social norms. If the culture has policies and practices that do nothing to dictate what is, and is not acceptable behavior, then the employees are going to choose. What they choose may not

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always be in the best interest of the organization, or the employees. Management is responsible for setting the ethical tone of the organization and one of their responsibilities is to make sure that violence and aggression are not an accepted norm. Behaviors tend to be infectious, and modeling is a process by which employees assimilate positive or negative behaviors they witness within the organization. In graduate classroom discussions, it was stated that ethics should trickle down from management. Employees look to leaders of the organization to set the example. If employers look the other way, or promote hostile working conditions by their lack of action, then they will have been the primary catalyst for perpetuating this type of dysfunctional environment. According to Hoobler & Swanberg (2006), aggressive organizational cultures are perpetuated because employees begin to accept aggression as part of the job. "Whereas organizational cultures which foster mutual respect, trust, and open communication can help reduce the threat of violence and provide employees with strategies for dealing with problems and issues as they arise" (Hoobler & Swanberg, 2006). Prevention What can human resource professionals do to protect the organization from a hostile working environment and possible legal ramifications of inaction? Myers (2006) has suggestions that would certainly be helpful in the prevention of harassment issues from arising in the first place. Some ideas include: 1. Adopting a clear anti-harassment policy 2. Training employees to distinguish behaviors that are harassing in nature 3. Monitoring the workplace for signs and symptoms of harassment 4. Taking surveys and thoroughly investigating employee performance issues 5. Consulting appropriate authorities on the prevention of hostile work environments, legal advisors, the EEOC, and other professionals with expertise on harassment 6. Respond to complaints promptly and keep proper documentation In order to prevent harassment and a hostile work environment, an organization must be willing to train all levels of management as well as employees."An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of legal defense. Employers who adopt comprehensive anti-harassment policies and are vigilant in enforcing them can reduce their risk of liability" (Myers, 2006). Prevention training will be the number one method of keeping employees informed of their rights and responsibilities in regards to expected ethical behavior within the organization. Eyres (2005), has several training strategies that may prove to be effective in preventing a hostile work environment. Eyres (2005), recommends training sessions that combine both managers and employees together. In addition, it is recommended that an organization use highly educated and qualified consultants for anti-harassment training sessions. It is critical that training includes all of the legal aspects of harassment, and highlights personal responsibility in the awareness and prevention of a hostile working environment (Eyres, 2005). According to Hilpern (2007), there are two effective ways to determine whether psychological harassment is taking place within an organization. The use of employee satisfaction surveys and exit interviews can be used to gage the psychological climate of an organization. The United States has been slow in introducing legislation that prohibits psychological harassment in the workforce. In fact, there are laws throughout Europe and most recently in 2002, Canada inducted laws to hold accountable all employers who did not prevent psychological harassment in their organizations (Bechamp, 2004). The U.S. is a world leader, and its lack of policy regarding psychological harassment, and hostile working environments is a disturbing trend. Every individual should have the right to work in an environment that is free of harassment, discrimination and general hostile working conditions that are psychological in nature. The effects of a hostile work environment are devastating to the victimized individual, the cohesiveness of the work group, and the organization as a whole. The monetary loss to organizations in terms of human capitol, lawsuits, and lost production should make human resource professionals stand up and take notice of a problem that is long overdue in being addressed in the United States. It is downright shameful that abusive behaviors are still legally acceptable in our places of work. Sexual harassment is a form of psychological harassment but is only one aspect in a comprehensive list of aggressive and threatening behaviors meant to incapacitate individual workers. It is time that Americans make a stand and take back our places of employment. Employment law specialists are warning HR professionals to wake up to the problem, or they will find themselves, and the organization in deep water (Hilpern, 2007). Until all places of work adopt a zero tolerance policy for all forms of harassment, there will continue to be massive losses as organizations fail to thrive. There are signs that an employee may be the victim of a hostile work environment based on physical and psychological symptoms that are pervasive and unexplainable. According to Field (2007), these include the following symptoms: -Aching joints with no apparent or specific cause

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-Aching muscles -Excessive tiredness, listlessness, exhaustion, fatigue -Headaches, migraines -Loss of strength/stamina -Palpitations, breathlessness -Sweating -Loss of appetite, indigestion, disturbed eating patterns -Disturbed sleeping patterns, inability to sleep or get to sleep, nightmares, constant flashbacks or replays -Waking up more tired than when you went to bed -Frequent, incessant, never-ending coughs, colds, flu and other minor infections -Conjunctivitis, tired and sore eyes -Poor skin quality, skin irritations -Excessive or compulsive picking, scratching, biting nails, grinding teeth -Loss of sex drive and libido -Dulled senses, especially touch, taste and smell -Anesthesia, numbness, pins & needles sensations -Poor circulation, cold extremities -Abnormal thirst -Intolerance to certain foods that had never bothered person before -Unsettled stomach, butterflies, trembling -Unusual allergies, unusually severe and/or frequent -Irritable bowel syndrome -Thyroid malfunction -Asthma, anemia, flatulence, sinusitis -Unusual hormonal changes -Angina, heart attack Conclusion Management has the responsibility to be aware of the work surroundings at all times, and discern possible hostile work environment issues based on lost productivity, increased rates of sickness, and general lack of morale among employees. Our human resources are the number one resource that any organization has, and should be protected at all costs. It is our human resources that will create new innovation, invent new products, think of ways to make our companies more profitable, and keep us competing globally. Let us take this aspect of our human resource management jobs seriously because it will most assuredly make the difference in our bottom line. References:

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Bandow, D., Hunter, D. (2007). The rise of workplace incivilities: Has it happened to you? The Business Review, 7(1), 212-217. Retrieved from Proquest September 10, 2007. Bechamp, L. (2004). Quebec rules protect workers from psychological harassment. Canadian HR Reporter, 17(2), 13-17. Retrieved from Proquest September 10, 2007. Eyres, P.S., (2005). Heading off harassment. Occupational Health & Safety, 74(1), 18-20. Retrieved from Proquest October 13, 2007. Field, T. (1996) Bully in Sight (1st ed). Oxfordshire. Wessex Press. Girardi, P., Monaco, E., Prestigiacomo, C., Talamo, A. (2007). Personality and psychopathological profiles in individuals exposed to mobbing. Violence and Victims, 22(2), 172-188. Retrieved from Proquest September 26, 2007. Gunn, R.W., Raskin-Gullickson, B. (2007). Drama on the 21 floor. Strategic Finance, 88(12), 8-10. Retrieved from Proquest October 13, 2007. Hilpern, K. (2007, Jun 12). Uneasy Target. Personnel Today, 24-25. Retrieved from Proquest October 1, 2007. Hoobler, J.M., Swanberg, J. (2006). The enemy is not us: Unexpected workplace violence trends. Public Personnel Management, 35(3), 229-246. Retrieved from Proquest October 1, 2007. Lopez-Cabarcos, M., Vazquez-Rodriquez, P. (2006). Psychological harassment in the Spanish public university system. Academy of Health Care Management Journal, 2, 21-39. Retrieved from Proquest October 1, 2007. Myers, J. (2006). Do you think "sex" when you hear "harassment"? Nonprofit World, 24(4), 24-25. Retrieved from Proquest September 25, 2007. Willness, C.R., Steel, P., Lee, K. (2007). A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of workplace sexual harassment. Personnel Psychology, 60(1), 127-163. Retrieved from Proquest October 13, 2007.
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