by Michael Dobbie
Significant structural changes in a Macedon Ranges Shire Council department in late 2006 resulted in accusations of bullying from affected staff.
Outcomes for Council included protracted legal proceedings, investigations by WorkSafe, workers compensation claims, a long period of uncertainty, adverse publicity and ultimately, an Enforceable Undertaking between Council and WorkSafe.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s key learnings around the prevention, identification and management of workplace bullying include:
- Risk Factors – proactively manage bullying risk factors,
such as organisational change, negative leadership styles, lack of
appropriate work systems, poor workplace relations and the
existence of vulnerable workers in the workforce. - Environment – all levels of management must demonstrate a commitment to a safe workplace, where all staff are treated
with dignity and respect and must lead by example, ensuring
their workplace behaviours are above reproach. - Culture – a culture that encourages open and honest
communication between management and peers and actively
promotes that diversity and acceptance is the best prevention
of bullying. A healthy culture ensures people know bullying
is ‘not what we do around here’. - Policies and Procedures – ensure you have detailed bullying,
discrimination and harassment procedures in place, including
clear steps to be taken when bullying is suspected. Use plain
English and review policies regularly to ensure they are
working. Ensure employees feel comfortable reporting
bullying to their managers, and that other avenues are
available if the manager is somehow involved in the
complaint. - Be proactive – understand that not all bullying behaviour is obvious
or initially destructive. What may appear quite harmless today could
degenerate into a serious case of bullying. Early intervention is
the best strategy. Promptly investigate any suggestions of workplace
bullying in a fair and impartial manner. Use independent
investigations where necessary. - Train staff – ensure management, supervisors and staff understand
their obligations toward their colleagues by using the induction
process to train staff on the prevention, identification and
management of workplace bullying, then follow up with regular
retraining for all staff. - Don’t look the other way – failing to act where bullying is suspected,
even without a formal complaint, can expose your workplace to
liability under OHS laws.
A change in several management positions since 2008 has enabled Council to improve its culture, policies and practices by implementing these strategies which are designed to minimise, as far as practicable, the risk of such events occurring in the future.
For further information on bullying in the workplace and its prevention visit www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/bullying
*Michael Dobbie is the Risk Management Supervisor at
Macedon Ranges Shire Council in Victoria.
