Bullying has become very common in contemporary workplaces. While commonly viewed as a disruptive and harmful element, what if bullying is more than just an unfortunate byproduct of organizational dynamics?The overuse and abuse of noncompete agreements has forced state governments have had to step in. Sometimes, bullying is not just a bug but a trait built in. This article will discuss the unsettling real aspect of corporate culture, deliberately or inadvertently cultivated by leadership.
When Workplace Bullying Is a Feature, Not a Bug
Using workers as goods
A lot of people abuse and overuse noncompete clauses in job contracts. Some state governments have had to step in to stop it. The widespread use of non-compete agreements in many areas locks workers into harmful environments. They also lower their wages because they can’t find better work elsewhere. Abuse of non-disclosure agreements is even worse. These papers, commonly known as the feared NDA, are only used to silence workers. This way, bad managers and predators can avoid being held responsible and continue their rule of terror. NDAs cover lousy behavior in two main ways. People who are harassed, discriminated against, or abused are sometimes paid to leave in exchange for an order not to talk about what happened. In other cases, the abuser is fired, but mutual NDAs are used by both sides to escape trouble.
Greed Glorified
It is well known that pay gaps between executives in some businesses are pathetic. Even in higher-paying jobs, there is a lot of neglect and abuse. Inversion and compression are both sneaky forms of abuse since no company would allow workers to say that not getting paid enough is a reason to do less work. This is also true for pay and bias based on gender. Some companies don’t let their workers talk about pay, which worsens things and hides wrongdoing. Take note of how forced silence is a big part of institutional bullying.
Human Resources Dehumanized
Many people go to HR to get hired, but some go there to get fired. You are supposed to tell HR about these abuses, but that will likely backfire. Too often, the victim is called a “troublemaker,” told to be quiet, and maybe even led out of the room. At the same time, the guilty gets a new, sealed personnel file and is led to a friendly corner office. Utilize surveillance software like Controlio for businesses.
Measurements Falsified
It’s likely that “time-on-task” measurements are the most common and least helpful. It doesn’t make any sense in the world we live in now, not even in production. Some bosses even put in monitoring software to watch what their workers do, ensuring they are always tethered to their galley oar. The boss can then watch everything from a smartphone, even if they are relaxing on a beach at a resort or negotiating a tough deal over a G&T at the country club. Time-on-task is just one of many meaningless measures used in employee reviews that don’t work at all. At the same time, the boss, who is really into these pointless numbers, threatens workers’ jobs over what they see as problems caused by insufficient staff, resources, and other things that the boss can control.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways bullying is built into an organization’s systems and structures. So, bullying at work isn’t just the responsibility of one person. Bully bosses can often take advantage of the fact that toxic people are usually built into the company.Workers need to feel important and not just a waste of time. By treating every employee with respect and dignity, great leaders set up systems that encourage loyalty, creativity, and absolute excellence.
