Bullying in the Workplace: Training for Managers

Introduction

Once a formal complaint of bullying has been made, it is extremely difficult to restore working relations so it is vitally important that managers and employees understand what might constitute bullying – and the differences from harassment. The HSE Stress Management Standards specifically highlight managers’ responsibilities in creating a workplace which is free from bullying and harassment.

Training is delivered in a relaxed, informal and flexible manner with plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. There is a very interactive learning process with exercises designed to stimulate interest and learning.

• Course Duration: 1-day course
• Course Capacity: 12 delegates max (for optimum benefit)
• Availability: All our courses are delivered in-house throughout the UK and Europe
• Customisation: The content can be tailored to meet an organisation’s individual requirements

Who Is It For?

Bullying in the workplace training can be delivered to managers at all levels in an organisation.

There is increasing awareness of the effect bullying and harassment can have on individual, team and organisational welfare. The CIPD has estimated that over 50% of stress cases at work involve bullying, and the increasing costs of compensation can be staggering.

High-profile successful cases such as ‘Green v Deutsche Bank’ and ‘Marjowski v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Health Trust’ emphasise the potential human and financial costs for any organisation and the obvious need for training on bullying in the workplace.

More recently, in Michalak v The Mid Yorks Hospital NHS Trust, a record award of c £4.5m was made after “…the Trust’s behaviour in which it orchestrated a lengthy secret campaign’ against one of its doctors where the Tribunal found their behaviour amounted to unlawful sex and race discrimination.

Key Benefits

• Understand the differences and similarities in bullying and harassment
• Learn how to recognize signs of overt and particularly covert bullying
• Go behind the stereotypes and understand more of the psychology of the bully and the victim
• Appreciate the short and long term effects bullying could have on the victim and the organisation
• Recognise the organisational factors which might perpetuate a bullying culture within the organisation
• Appreciate the evolving legal context
• Able to put in place good practice in responding to allegations: investigating; supporting parties; managing the aftermath

Course Content

Raising awareness

• What we mean by Bullying and Harassment in the workplace?
• What are the determining features?
• Looking at examples: the obvious and the more subtle
• Video clips to show overt and covert bullying
• But what about teasing and banter…?
• Exploring sensitivities

Organisational factors

• What allows bullying behaviour to develop and thrive?
• Diagnosing your organisation’s position on bullying in the workplace
• There’s a fine line: strong management or bullying?
• Model of multifactors in bullying at work

The Individual: is there ‘a bullying type’?  

• What do we know about the psychology of the perpetrator and the target?
• How do victims react and why don’t they speak out?
• What is the clinical impact of bullying on individuals?

The law and the bottom line

• The legal implications for organisations
• Evolving legislation
• The position regarding individual responsibility and liability
• Some key cases

The manager’s role

• What are the early warning signs which managers should be alert to?
• The manager as a role model and the effect of style and behaviour
• If bullying is suspected or observed, what is the manager’s responsibility?

Dealing with complaints

• Levels of intervention
• What determines your approach to a problem?
• Exploring ways of dealing informally with difficult situations
• DVD to consider core forensic skills in complaint situations
• Using identified situations to give individuals the opportunity to practise dealing informally with situations in a safe environment

 A culture of respect

• Exploring ways of creating a healthy culture
• Examples of healthy management

 

Optional Follow-up emails

To help embed the knowledge learned on the day we can provide delegates with follow-up emails revisiting the areas covered on the Bullying in the Workplace training course and signposting where to find further information and resources.  The final email can include a brief questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of the training course.

Similar Courses

• Bullying in the Workplace: Be Aware!
• Equality & Diversity Training
• Developing Personal Resilience Training

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