Until recently, some kind of abuse was considered “normal” work culture. How to detect and defend itself.
The abuse is one of the most common problems found in organizations. But we must distinguish between abuse and simple moodiness of a superior or peer.
While the moodiness is a personal characteristic, abuse behaviors and attitudes are specifically and voluntarily directed toward one or more persons, in order to generate unease, dissatisfaction and / or damage. It may be from a superior to a subordinate or peer (more rarely).
Until recently the subject of abuse people were in a state of helplessness, not least because some type of abuse was considered “normal” in the work culture.
In recent years both in Europe and the United States increased from thousands of complaints of abuse, the highest percentage occurs in those countries with specific legislation.
In Argentina Since 2002 to date are several provinces (including Buenos Aires) have enacted laws against labor abuse, although most of them are still circumscribed the public domain.
How is it detected?
Behaviors repeated aggression and isolation relegation indicate that we are witnessing abuse. These include:
Systematic offensive or vulgar expressions referring to a person and / or the work involved.
Systematic reticeo of elements and / or useful for homework. From denying the use of telephone, photocopier, until you have a desktop or a fixed place to work.
Restricting access to information needed to perform the tasks.
Delay in promotions and / or promotions.
Isolation of the person of his colleagues.
Requirement of humiliating tasks, contradictory, ambiguous, difficult to implement or unnecessary. Constant and unfair criticism.
Disqualification or public discrediting front of colleagues, superiors, customers or suppliers to the person and / or task.
Avoidance of personal contacts, asking only written contacts.
Burlas or disparaging or derogatory gestures.
Threats relating to wages or continued employment.
Unwelcome sexual advances or as conditioning for other purposes.
Physical aggression (more rare).
How to defend?
In general people find it hard to detect abuse as such, soon realizes, first think that you are actually doing wrong things, then do not feel safe to define what is happening as abuse.
Most often, the abused does not comment on the situation in his work for fear of the reaction of the abuser and ridicule. Neither said another top for fear that the abuser cope in total business, which happens often.
can take a long time until finally beaten the decision to go public, most often supported by members of his family and a colleague.
A layer of defense is to make the complaint. The question arises as to whom to report when the abuser is the immediate superior.
We recommend starting with the withdrawal within the organization with a top of the individual abuser, and thus giving the company the opportunity to resolve the issue. If there are no positive responses that involve the cessation of abuse or the exclusion of the abuser to take legal advise on the outside of the company.
The other level is institutional. The company can also be considered a victim.
A company that contains an abuser loses value against its staff in front of their clients, to suppliers and face competition.
The reasons for this are several: it obscures the work environment, facilitating the escape of the best, increased sick leave, the quality of products, you lose customers and the company is responding to a legally abuse complaint that has to take over financial compensation.
By permitting or tolerating this abuse is a terrible deal for any company.
At the institutional level education is the most effective: prevention is always much more economical in energy, time and money to deal with abuse once installed or face a demand for labor by child abuse.
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