Everything you described is what exactly what I read in U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, when “management” fails to believe or even discredits a target’s issues on being bullied by another worker or boss. I can’t believe bullies are not only allowed to keep practicing their harassment, but are eventually promoted.

I encourage readers to read How Bullying Happens to understand how bullying can happen in the workplace.

Thank you again for being so detailed about your experience and recommending that if target of a bully should find another job.

Much could be said about the information in the article but as one who has experienced the psychological trauma of being a target, I would like to comment on your statement, “Bullies operate with confidence that they will not be punished because they enjoy support from higher-ups who can protect them if and when they are exposed.”

I was the target of a bully for over 2.5 years at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, (a part of the Trinity Health system headquartered in Novi, Michigan), in Boise Idaho. One of the ironies of workplace bullying is that bullying is more common in health care than most other areas, even though health care businesses claim to care about and provide healing for people. Bullies are often protected by management.

At St. Alphonsus I reported the bullying to management numerous times withour ever receiving a relevant response. I was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the bullying, and reported the PTSD injury to various levels of management (including the CEO) more than 2 dozen times. No one responded addressing the fact that I was being injured. On the other hand the bully was coddled by management. She made numerous false accusations against me trying to get me fired, and they were repeated accusingly back to me by management almost word for word. I was never given an opportunity to respond to her charges in front of either her or management.

Management refused to listen to my side of the story. I was threatened with termination for reporting the PTSD injury to management. Eventually I had to find another job even though I worked at St. Alphonus for 30 years and had an excellent work record.

However the bully was promoted to a day shift job and eventually into a supervisory position. The department manager who refused to address the problem and claimed that the PTSD injury was “petty” also received a significant promotion.

Although this is probably what management wants, I would have to recommend that if you become the target of a bully in the workplace especially in the health care field, you might as well start looking for another job. It’s highly unlikely that management will be supportive, or do anything to stop the bully and protect you from injury and disability.

It’s unbelievable how a hard working person can devote decades of his/her life to an employer only to be treated like scum when requesting assistance from the employer to stop abusive behavior from a co-worker.

Only when awareness rises and/or legislation is enacted to protect the employees from bullies will the victims of abuse have any recourse other than seeking employment elsewhere.

Thanks again.
Leonard Nolt
http://www.leonardnolt.blogspot.com