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Results
of Previous 'Quick' Polls
Poll:
"How many times have you been the
'target' of a workplace bully"?
 Poll was conducted 7th Jan
2009-6th October 2009
Viewed 2360 times
Results:
Thank
you to all those who voted in this poll
QUICK
SUMMARY: The results of this poll
serve to discount the
'perceived' myth that the 'targets' of workplace bullies are 'weak'
and insipid individuals with little to no strength, or 'staying
power'.
The effects of workplace bullying are well documented. 'Targets'
are subjected to an ongoing barrage of threats, humiliation,
intimidation, personal and professional character assassination,
sabotage and abuse...often without the support of fellow work
colleagues. While the negative health effects begin manifesting
literally from the onset of workplace bullying. To return to a 'toxic'
workplace day after day...without any respite in sight...and knowing
that each day will generally bring more misery...is not the
sign of
a 'weak' person. Far from it. As this poll revealed, bully
'targets'
withstand workplace bullying and abuse for many months to years,
with the strongest response of 32.6% indicating they had endured
workplace bullying from 18-24+ months.
Poll:
"If you saw workplace bullying at
work would you report it?"?
Poll was conducted
6th October 2009-6th April 2010
Viewed
2346 times
Results:
Thank
you to all those who voted in this poll
QUICK
SUMMARY: The results of this poll
reveal the majority
of respondents (62.2%) would report bullying if they saw
it
in the workplace. However, reporting workplace bullying...and
whether or not the organisation takes steps to eradicate that
bullying...are two entirely different things. Further, additional
Know Bull! research indicates that 50% of those who reported
workplace bullying stated their organisation "did nothing"
to
address it. Interestingly, those respondents who indicated they
wouldn't report instances of bullying because of "bully
retribution",
or that it would "cost" their job (total: 15.6%), have valid
concerns.
The information in Know Bull's files combined with research over
the past five years reveals a bleak picture. Despite increasing
awareness of workplace bullying, and the specific statutory duty
of organisations to take 'all reasonably practicable steps' to
protect their employees' health, safety and welfare...Know Bull!
estimates that at least 6-7 in every 10 workplaces is afflicted
with
workplace bullying.
Poll:
"Public vs Private sector Workplace
Bullying. Which options best describe your situation?"
Poll
published March 2013
N= 580
Thank
you to all those who voted in this poll
Results:
QUICK SUMMARY:
The results of this poll indicate that workplace bullying can, and
does take place across a variety of workplaces - in both public and
private sectors.
In fact, no organisation - large or small - is immune. However,
what this particular
poll reveals is that Public Servants appear to be subjected to
workplace bullying in
greater numbers (as past or current bully 'targets'), than their
Private Sector
counterparts (65.5% vs. 53.4%). And when it comes to addressing
workplace
bullying - a higher percentage (55.2%) of Private Sector Employees
have found their
workplace Policies and Procedures inadequate, when compared to
processes within
the Public Service (34.5%). To put this into perspective, 89.7% of
total respondents
indicated that the existing processes in their workplaces to deal with
workplace
bullying are essentially not effective.
Poll:
"Complete the following sentence.
Workplace Bullies engage in bullying because..."
Poll
published March 2013
N= 690
Thank
you to all those who voted in this poll
Results:
QUICK
SUMMARY: The results of this Poll
reveal what respondents saw as the
'motivating' factors prompting a workplace bully to 'bully'. The
highest response (63.8%)
indicates that bullies are primarily seen as having a need for
"power over others". If
however, the workplace bully is a manager this result could also be
interpreted as an
'abuse of power'. The next highest response (58%) is actually the
'Achilles' Heel' of
a workplace bully..."the fear of
being exposed as inadequate in their jobs". Workplace
bullies know they're inadequate for the jobs they hold, and
live in constant 'fear' of
being found out, and exposed for the frauds that they are. They
see others being
credited in the workplace for 'a job well done'...as the potential for
comparison against
their own lack of skills. And where there's the potential for
comparison...there exists
the potential for 'exposure'. The bully's work life, and indeed their
whole persona, is
nothing more than a 'construct'. It's a lie, it's a sham, it's a
fabrication. 'Exposure' to
a bully means that the world they so carefully and deliberately
created...could come
crashing down around them. In order to keep this life,
workplace bullies set about
destroying anyone who poses a 'threat'...which explains why
their behaviours are so
abhorrent. Aside from 'targets' having the uncanny ability to
spot an inadequate 'fake'
(which equates to potential for exposure), workplace bullies do
envy the skills and
talents the 'target' possesses (47.8%). But, workplace bullies also
have an extreme
sense of 'entitlement'. When you add a resume or CV, which is
'embellished' with a host
of fake and fraudulent credentials and skills; plus a
'willingness' to do whatever it takes
to get and keep what they want (i.e. "they don't respect
the values of others", 46.4%)...
you pretty much have a complete profile of a workplace bully.
For
more information, see the Know Bull! article: Bullies in the workplace – they’re far
too ‘expensive’ to keep!
Poll:
"Workplace Bullying &
Relationships. Which options best describe your situation?"
Poll
published March 2013
N= 790
Thank
you to all those who voted in this poll
Results:
QUICK
SUMMARY: The results of this Poll
indicate that the effects of workplace
bullying extend beyond the bullied 'target', and negatively
impacts on the target's
relationship with their partners, family, and their co-workers.
At 54.4%, there is a
greater percentage co-worker relationships under 'strain' than partner
or family
relationships. At first glance, this may seem unusual - especially
when research
indicates the enormous toll workplace bullying takes on partners and
families.
However, what needs to be understood is that co-workers work in the
same
environment as the 'target', and often 'witness' the workplace
bullying. Through
fear of bully 'retribution', and possibly becoming a bully target as
well, co-workers
are generally the first to shun, ostracize, and withdraw their support
from the
'target'. From the target's perspective more of their
co-workers will desert them
than their partners or family, simply because co-workers are often
greater in number.
At 43% the partner, and generally the person who is closest to the
bully target, will
be under enormous strain. More often than not, 'targets' keep the
bullying 'secret'
from their partner for some time - primarily due to 'shame', and a
desire not to
burden them. And it's not easy for a partner to stand by
and not know what's going
on, while they watch the person they care most about 'unravel' before
their eyes.
Family members such as children, parents, siblings etc at 32.9% will
also feel the
'strain' of workplace bullying. And the more protracted the
bullying, the greater the
health effects on the target. The family outings and activities that
once provided joy
for the target cease to exist, as the target withdraws further from
family life. Left
unaddressed, and under enormous strain - workplace bullying can
lead to breakdown
of partner or family relationships (16.5% of Poll respondents). It's
little wonder that
the strongest response of respondents (64.6%), was that coping with
bullying had
left targets feeling 'powerless'.
Current
Polls:
Poll for bullied 'targets': How helpful was HR (Human Resources) in addressing workplace bullying? Click
here to take Poll (opens new window)
Results
of Previous Surveys
The 'Extent and Effects of Workplace
Bullying Survey, 2010' is now
available for download in two formats:
17-page (full) Report 'Extent and Effects of Workplace Bullying
Survey, 2010' [pdf-261kb]
2-page Summary of Key Findings 'Extent and Effects of Workplace
Bullying Survey, 2010' [pdf-85kb]
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