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WORKPLACE BULLYING

RESPECT • CIVILITY • ACCOUNTABILITY

Cyber Bullying in the Workplace

“You should know better.” That was the ominous text message Laura, a Registered Nurse at a large medical center, received from 20 people at 11 a.m. one morning.

She was astounded. What was happening, she wondered? What did the message mean? And why would anyone—let alone 20 people—text her with the same message?

Laura went home that night shaken and perplexed. After a sleepless night, she figured it out. She had been at her job for only a week. She had replaced a popular supervisor, who had left abruptly without explanation. Her employer had assured Laura that her staff would accept her. Obviously, they had not.

Laura’s co-workers were taking advantage of an electronic means of bullying. Laura was the target of cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullying is harassment using technology—cell phones, email or the internet, for example.

While the term was first applied to teenagers, it is rapidly being used to apply to behavior adults are experiencing in the workplace as well.

Cyber-bullying can take workplace bullying to a new level. All of us know how quickly emails can spread information. Imagine how the word spreads when emails or text messages broadcast unverified rumors about a target, from unverified sources.

Also, where workplace bullying usually pits one bully against one target, cyber-bullying can easily take the form of cyber-mobbing where you have many people against one target. All that workplace bullies need to know is your email address or cell phone number. They can remain anonymous under an assumed email identity, or block their number when calling you.

Knowing this, here’s what you can do to curb cyber-bullying or even cyber-mobbing:

• Save emails and texts that contain bullying messages. Your company may have a way to find out who owns that account (IP address), and you can then block that email address from sending you anything. In addition, the email can serve as potential evidence.

• Don’t use your work email address for anything other than work. Set up a different email account for personal use.

• Don’t tell online “friends” (the ones you know through social networking sites) your company’s name. It’s relatively easy to figure out someone’s work email address if you know her name and the company she works for.

• Find out if your email program has a filter that allows only those on your “safe” list to send you emails. They have to be approved by you. Download an email verification program from the internet that ensures you are in control of who sends you emails. Any unknown sender has to first apply to you – you can accept or decline any email address request.

• As far as text messaging goes, you can also block phone numbers, once you identify a bully’s number. Simply call your cell phone company to arrange the block.

Cyber-bullying is a very passive form of bullying. It is as serious as any other form of workplace bullying and has the potential to be even more insidious. You can take steps to block and verify who contacts you in order to gain back some control. Remember, the bully’s nature is to try and take your power because they feel they do not have their own. You do not have to give them anything and you have every right to set up these personal boundaries.

 

*Note: Your name and email will not ever appear, it is strictly used to prevent spam comments.

3 responses to “Cyber Bullying in the Workplace”

  1. Starr says:

    Thanks for spending time on the computer (writing) so others don’t have to.

  2. […] One new article link has been added to our Related News page. Bully Free at Work published an article titled Cyber-Bullying in the Workplace: Technological Bully Attacks. […]

  3. bulliedatworknetwork says:

    The cyberbully is on the rise and I have experienced this on facebook, personal email, work email and texts. I believe cyberbullying allows the bully to be more covert and vindictive. You blog has given me an idea for my next blog regarding the cyberbullying that I experienced. I posted your blog on my blogger page and hope you will share mine…this will help us get the word out. Thanks
    http://bulliedatworknetwork.blogspot.com/

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Valerie Cade, CSP is a Workplace Bullying Expert, Speaker and Author of "Bully Free at Work: What You Can Do To Stop Workplace Bullying Now!" which has been distributed in over 100 countries worldwide. For presentations and consulting on workplace bullying prevention and respectful workplace implementation, go to http://www.BullyFreeAtWork.com

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