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Phone: 07974 421733
Workplace harassment
Treatment: Counselling / CBT / Hypnotherapy
Working with people can cause tensions that are creative but sometimes destructive. Positional power in organisations can evoke experiences from childhood and the power we experienced from Parents. Teachers or other children. Competition between colleagues can occasionally create a difficult atmosphere. This may bring issues such as jealousy, rivalry and envy into the environment.
What is Harassment?
Harassment is unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of people at work. It may be connected to age, sex, race, disability, etc. or simply personal characteristics. Harassment is illegal on the grounds of race, sex, and disability amongst other things. We are protected through legislation from unlawful discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Harassing behaviour tends to follow a three part process:
- Identification, that is being singled out
- Blame
- Banishment, that is isolation and attack
What is Bullying?
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate, or injure the recipient (ACAS 2003).
It may be a single incident or a pattern. Sometimes it is obvious such as verbal or physical abuse or it can be more subtle like spreading false or malicious rumours. It can include impossible deadlines, not providing vital information and resources or putting unnecessary pressure and excessive work onto someone.
Effects of Harassment
These can be:
- Preoccupation with problems at work
- Feeling alone or isolated
- Withdrawal from everyday activities and interactions with others
- Irritability and difficulty concentrating
- Interpersonal skills affected
- Frequent minor illnesses and sick leave
- A developing sense of anger
Harassment chips away at your sense of identity, you lose confidence in yourself and your abilities. You may make more mistakes and become fearful about losing your job. There is a build up of emotional pressure that can cause a fear that you might explode or do something rash.
Sometimes it is so subtle that the person does not even know they are being bullied or harassed they just cannot keep up with the pressure until they get depressed or have problems with anxiety.