Bullying has become a hot topic in the fire service, as more and more members are coming forward with stories of negative workplace behaviors that have impacted their lives. In his Firehouse Expo session “Workplace Bullying in the Firehouse,” Durham, NH, Fire Department Fire Chief David Emanuel defined workplace bullying and characteristics; identified potential impacts of bullying on targets, bystanders and organizations; and offered mitigation strategies and tactics to reduce workplace bullying.
Defining the problem
Emanuel started with a simple definition of bullying from the U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA: “Any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assault and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers, and visitors.”
Emanuel added that workplace bullying can include abusive conduct that involves interference or sabotage, preventing work from being completed, and even acts of omission, such as withholding resources. It is driven by the perpetrators’ need to control the targeted individual, he said, and is unbiased when it comes to gender, race, age, religion, and position within the organization. In other words, anyone can be a bully or the target of a bully.
A common misconception is that bullying is only top-down, from superior to subordinate, but bullying can come from any direction, Emanuel said. A Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) study showed that 61 percent of bullying incidents were top-down, 33 percent were between peers, and 6 percent were down-up.
Bullies will gain the trust of others, target individuals who question their trust or the perception of the bully by others (making the bully feel inadequate), and manipulate others’ emotions and perceptions, ultimately doing so to get what they want. Emanuel explained that because people want to avoid being bullied, they will often change their behaviors, which feeds into what the bully wants.
Emanuel explained that the bully’s “targets” are those people who are able to see through the charisma of a bully. This makes them most susceptible and most likely to be targeted for bad behavior, picked on, and the focus of the worst aggression. Then there’s a third group called bystanders who are present or aware of the behavior.
“You don’t have to be on the receiving end to know it’s going on around you,” Emanuel reminded, adding that it’s vital to empower the bystanders to step up to help stop the behavior. “We must challenge you [the bystanders] to figure out what you can do to disrupt the activity. If you don’t break the chain, it continues to escalate.”
Individual and organizational impact
Bullying can have significant impacts on the target, including the fear of being eliminated, a disproportionate number of disciplinary actions, and coercion into resignation or retirement. Targets are often inhibited from accomplishing their work responsibilities, achieving career goals, and forming work connections. Further, there is an incredible physical and emotional toll as well, Emanuel said, explaining that targets can feel overwhelming anxiety, anticipating the next event, and experience sleep disruption, mood swings, loss of concentration or memory, pervasive sadness, high blood pressure, and obsession over the personal circumstances of the bullying.
The impact of bullying goes well beyond the individual, though; it can impact the entire organization and significantly impact productivity. Direct costs include an increase in medical and workers’ compensation claims caused by work-related stress as well as legal costs related to investigation, dispute resolution, settlements and/or defense. Indirect costs include high turnover, absenteeism, poor customer relationships, poor employee morale, low employee engagement, and acts of sabotage and revenge.
“This stuff is real,” Emanuel said. “When exposed to enough garbage—when we choose to bully or be a bystander who doesn’t stop the behavior, we are not making our profession stronger.”
Break the chain
So how can firefighters stop bullying? The first step is to know how to spot it. Emanuel offered the following indicators and behaviors to watch for:
- Sharp increase in attrition and absenteeism
- Declines in productivity following a supervisory change
- Sudden actual or alleged reductions in performance by workers with otherwise consistently satisfactory work records
- Declining employee morale after downsizing, merger, and reorganization situations
- Heightened levels of interpersonal aggression of all types
Emanuel added that fire service leadership is key in preventing a culture of bullying, as they should maintain a vigilant watch for workplace bullying so they can stop it before it escalates. Leaders can also establish anti-bullying policies that apply to everyone in the department, state clearly that bullying is a disciplinary offense, and reinforce confidentiality.
Emanuel explained that there are two approaches to bullying policies and procedures:
- Two-tier approach: First comes an informal stage in which the bully and target are identified, and an informal investigation occurs. There is then a formal procedure involving written documentation of the actions, and a formal, confidential and impartial investigation.
- Zero-tolerance policy: This establishes a shared and sustained commitment by employees and their employers to a safe and trustworthy environment that promotes dignity and respect; encourages employees to report incidents; and makes clear that non-compliance results in disciplinary action.
When it comes to stopping workplace bullying, Emanuel explained that education and training are key. It’s important for departments to develop an awareness and sensitivity to bullying-related issues, and role-playing activities can be particularly useful in identifying bullying behavior. Further, case studies can help members understand what is and is not bullying.
Role-playing and case studies are especially helpful, as perception matters in bullying cases. Behavior can be perceived as bullying even if the intent was not to cause harm or distress. In other words, the intent is irrelevant, which means that firefighters need to be mindful of their behavior and how it could be perceived.
For members who are targets of bullying, Emanuel stressed that, “Your personal health has to be your priority,” and encouraged them to find someone they can talk to about the issue.
Emanuel offered several online training resources:
