Regardless of what industry you operate in, bullying is likely to happen at some point, and as a human resources professional, you technically cannot stop bullying. However, you can establish anti-bully policies that keep your employees safe in the workplace. You can also get higher-level executives involved in bullying matters and play an active role in demonstrating to senior leaders how bullying is financially detrimental to the company.
Part of maintaining a safe workplace is taking bullying reports seriously. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant a bullying instance seems to you; if an employee reports it, then you must investigate the situation. And, if you find that bullying did occur, you must carry out the appropriate consequence. Enforcing a zero-tolerance bullying policy in your workplace ensures that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
It’s also important to make sure that your employees are trained so they know what bullying is and how to file a complaint. Ideally, this training is completed every year and details the consequences of bullying so that everyone is on the same page. Managers and supervisors also need this training, but you should ensure their training extends to handling bullying complaints so they know what regulations and procedures to follow.