Stamp out Bullying at Work

No, we’re not talking about childhood or teenage hurts — that’s the number of people who face abuse at work. Workplace bullying is a growing concern around the world, and it’s hurting both victims and companies. Are there bullies where you work? Here are some tips for spotting and dealing with the problem.

What is Workplace Bullying?
When we think of bullying, we may think of taunting mobs or schoolyard fights, but it looks very different in the workplace. It could the person who constantly criticizes a co-worker, the boss who swears and threatens or the office clique who isolates and excludes others.

Experts define workplace bullying as a pattern of behaviors that are meant to intimidate, degrade, offend, exclude and humiliate a person or group. It can involve verbal abuse, offensive behaviors, mistreatment and outright sabotage. Malicious rumors and gossip — both online and off — are part of it too, as are making offensive jokes and gestures.

Other examples of bullying include:

• Attacking a co-worker’s skills and competence to undermine their credibility.
• Invading other’s privacy, such as spying, stalking and tampering with personal belongings or equipment.
• Setting others up for failure, like providing misinformation or withholding information necessary for projects or tasks, setting unrealistic deadlines or constantly changing expectations.
• Denying opportunities for training or promotion, or requests for leave.
• Unfair workloads. Some targets have responsibilities taken away from them while others are over burdened with extra work.
• Yelling and using threats and profanity.

Bullies and Targets
So how often does workplace bullying occur? Recent numbers can be tricky to find, but the most recent survey from the Workplace Bullying Institute’s (WBI) reveals some interesting trends. The 2010 Workplace Bullying Survey found that 35 per cent of workers have experienced bullying first hand. That’s four times the number of people who have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination.

Unlike schoolyard stereotypes, the targets of bullies aren’t “loners” or “weaklings”. Instead, they’re integral and valued members of the team. They’re hard workers, well educated, well liked and successful.

They aren’t rookies either. According to the survey, half of all past and present targets of bullying are between the ages of 30 and 49. Workers between the ages of 50 and 64 are next in line, though the number of incidences could be higher than reported because many people who were targets may have already left the workforce and weren’t included in the poll.

Does Gender Play a Role?
Does sex play a role? It depends on whom you ask. According to the WBI’s survey, the margin between men and women is slim — nearly 36 per cent of female workers report experiencing bullying compared to 33 per cent of males. However, other studies suggest that men are more likely to become targets than women.

Worst yet, many people who witness bullying are victims too — or become part of the problem. They often fear sticking up for the person and even withdraw friendship and support for fear of becoming the next victim. What about the perpetrators? Like their younger counterparts, adult bullies are often insecure, have low self-esteem, have poor social skills and lack empathy. Their insecurity leads them to try to cut down and exclude people who pose a threat.

Adult bullies also have an agenda of their own and use aggression to get ahead. It’s not surprising that the majority of bullies are in positions of power. According to the Canada Safety Council, over 70 per cent of bullies are bosses. Co-workers mostly account for the rest and subordinates are rarely bullies — after all, there isn’t much value in bullying someone higher up. Both men and women are bullies, though surveys don’t necessarily agree on the proportions. Some say men are more likely to be bullies than women, while other surveys claim the opposite. What most findings agree on is that men target both men and women, at almost the same rate, but women target other women in the majority of cases.

However, experts also warn that company culture plays a role in allowing bullying to occur. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and procedures to deal with the problem, but employers are lagging far behind. A “tough management style” often isn’t recognized as bullying, and a highly competitive environment can encourage abusive behaviors. Positive consequences like promotions and bonuses reinforce bullying in cutthroat atmospheres, and everyone can get caught up in the culture.

How Harmful?
Bullying can have serious psychological and physical effects on individuals. The majority of targets experience stress, anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep and changes in appetite. Workplace stress can literally make people sick, and chronic stress is a known contributor to chronic disease. Many targets of bullying also turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. The stress also affects relationships with family and friends.

The majority of targets never get justice — instead, they face the financial burden of quitting or being fired. Bullying also hurts businesses as well. The hostile environment damages morale and hampers productivity. Victims of bullying spend between one tenth to half their work time worrying about their situation, defending themselves and seeking support.

The stress inevitably leads to costs like employee absenteeism, sick leave, long-term disability and job burnout. The issue can harm customer confidence as well as the company’s reputation. Then there’s the issue of employee turnover. Not only do businesses lose valuable workers, they’re also paying out severance packages and bearing the costs of recruiting and training new staff.

Talk to Someone

How you proceed will depend on a few factors, including the laws where you live and what policies and procedures your company may have in place.

The laws and policies should explain how to address and resolve the issue, so check there first. Ask around at work, and check your area’s workplace safety websites.

Talk to the Bully

If existing laws and procedures aren’t a help, experts suggest talking to the bully directly. Stay calm and factually explain how his or her is affecting you and the company.

Don’t make it personal — stay on the issue and the facts rather than the person. Tell him or her that you want the to stop. Take along a third person, or write a letter if you feel more comfortable.

Talk to a Supervisor
Address your concerns with your supervisor, or go one step higher if your boss is the perpetrator.

Some experts also advise to speak with your human resources department, especially if the behavior is illegal, but the key is to talk to someone you trust. Many experts recommend finding a mentor who has dealt with the situation before.

Relationships
Bullies want to isolate their targets and edge them out of the picture. Experts advise to resist the urge to withdraw and instead stay connected with your co-workers and clients.

Don’t be shy to remind supervisors about your skills and successes.

Avoid Retaliation
Bullies want to isolate their targets and edge them out of the picture. Experts advise to resist the urge to withdraw and instead stay connected with your co-workers and clients.

Don’t be shy to remind supervisors about your skills and successes.

Prevention
Stop bullying before it starts. Employers and employees can work together to foster an environment that discourages abuse and promotes good conflict management practices.

In addition, if you know someone who affected by workplace bullying, the best thing you can do is listen and offer support. When loved ones don’t believe the bullying is happening or don’t understand the situation, it can increase the target’s stress and sense of isolation.

For more information on workplace bullying visit http://www.workplacebullying.org/.

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved.

That’s why I’m intrigued by a new study showing what medical-grade manuka honey—a type of honey that’s harvested from manuka trees in Australia and New Zealand and then sterilized—can do in our battle against out-of-control skin infections. It isn’t just that this honey kills microbes—other honeys can do that, too. What’s new is that lead researcher Sarah E. Maddocks, PhD, an associate lecturer in microbiology at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales, discovered that manuka honey also has the potential to detach bacteria from wounds, which makes wounds easier to treat with topical medications.

What makes manuka honey so special? For one thing, manuka contains much higher concentrations of methylglyoxal, compared with other honeys, which makes it a superior microbe fighter. The main type of antimicrobial ingredient in other types of honey is hydrogen peroxide, Dr. Maddocks said. She analyzed medical-grade manuka honey, specifically, because it’s irradiated and therefore sterilized. Honeys that are sold for eating are not sterilized, she explained, and therefore might contain microorganisms that can be transferred to wounds and cause infection. (But don’t worry—you can still buy the medical grade variety. More on that later.)

BAD NEWS FOR BACTERIA
In lab petri dishes, Dr. Maddocks and her team treated samples of Streptococcus pyogenes—a skin bacterium often found in slow-to-heal surgical infections—with 20% to 25% concentrations of medical-grade manuka honey. Within two hours, the honey produced big results—85% of the bacteria were destroyed. The most interesting part of the study was that the honey also stopped the bacteria from binding to proteins that often are found in wounds. Normally when bacteria stick to these proteins, they form a barrier to healing when the wound is treated with topical drugs, such as antimicrobial creams. So with this one-two punch, the honey appears to have the power to minimize the likelihood of infection and make the wound easier to treat. If it starts being used on a wide scale, medical-grade manuka might do even more than save patients unnecessary suffering—it could save buckets of money as well. Dr. Maddocks estimated that in the developed world, between 2% and 4% of all health-care expenses go toward treating nonhealing wounds. Her study was published this past January in Microbiology.

EASY TO USE, A LITTLE HARD TO FIND
Though more research needs to be done to confirm its effectiveness on people’s actual wounds in clinical trials, not just on bacteria in petri dishes, Dr. Maddocks said that some hospitals all over the world already use medical-grade manuka honey, mainly to treat serious, chronic wounds. But if you want to use it on a minor wound yourself at home, it’s a good natural option, according to Daily Health News contributing editor Richard O’Brien, MD, an attending emergency physician at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Manuka honey tends to be costly since it needs to be imported great distances. It’s available in some pharmacies, but regular manuka honey found in health or food stores usually isn’t medical-grade. And you can’t sterilize regular manuka honey yourself. The best place to find it is online—just be sure that the label states that it’s “medical-grade” or “sterilized.”

To use medical-grade manuka honey on a minor wound, first clean the wound with mild soap and water to lower the bacterial count and remove any debris, said Dr. O’Brien. Then apply a thin film over only the wound (not the surrounding area) and cover it carefully with a nonstick bandage, such as Telfa, so the pad itself won’t stick to the honey, he added. Twice a day clean the wound and reapply the honey and bandage, Dr. O’Brien said, and if the bandage needs more frequent changing due to drainage or pain, see a doctor to make sure the wound is not infected.

Sarah E. Maddocks, PhD, associate lecturer, microbiology, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, Wales. Richard O’Brien, MD, an attending emergency physician at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Bottom Line Publications Copyright © 2012 Boardroom,Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mark Couey-OIC

Veteran Washington State Patrol (WSP) Capt. Mark Couey is the new director of the state insurance commissioner’s Special Investigations Unit.

Couey has more than 28 years of law enforcement experience, having worked for both the Oregon State Police and the Washington State Patrol. He started his WSP career in 1985 and has been stationed in Vancouver, Bremerton, Poulsbo, Hoquiam and Olympia. “We were very pleased to welcome Mark to the agency,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. “Our anti-fraud investigators are experts in complex financial crimes, and Mark and his staff are critical to derailing these schemes, winning convictions, and deterring fraud.”

Kreidler’s Special Investigations Unit was created by the Legislature in 2006 to fight criminal insurance fraud, which costs consumers billions of dollars a year. Insurance fraud is the second-most-costly white-collar crime, after tax evasion. The Special Investigations Unit’s work has resulted in millions of dollars of prevented losses and restitution.

Much of Couey’s career has been spent in the WSP Investigative Services Bureau, with assignments as a detective sergeant assigned to Tax Evasion, section commander as a lieutenant assigned to Narcotics, and division commander as the captain over Investigative Assistance, managing detectives statewide as well as commanding the SWAT team. In 2007, he was assigned to the Special Operations Division, which oversees the Governor’s Security, Executive Services and Aviation Section, along with other duties. Couey has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Oregon State University. He’s also a graduate of both the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Unit Commander Academy and the FBI National Academy at Quantico.

Anyone who suspects fraud can report it to the insurance commissioner’s office at 1-800-562-6900.

Elizabeth Louise Malamalamaokalani White Logue

Who? (I hear you cry.) Let me set the scene: A familiar drum introduction, the iconic theme music. Next, the now familiar “jump shots” of a huge curling wave, aerial shots of landmarks like Diamondhead, Aloha Tower, etc, etc, then, almost a minute into it, a beautiful Hawaiian woman running down the beach, pulling a clip from her hair…and then finally, with raven tresses flowing, a headshot of a dramatic head rocking turn facing the camera.

That woman is Elizabeth Louise Malamalamaokalani White Logue, and “Hawaii Five-0″ of 1968 is on the air, with young men and women in dorms around the world falling in love with an image…and trying to figure out how to finagle a trip to the Islands to meet or look like her.

Why does this matter? Well, May is “Older Americans Month” and I was doing some calculations after watching an old “Five-0″ and wondering who this beauty was and what happened to her. Although some confusion exists, including a rumor of her death (A different Elizabeth Logue.), it appears that Elizabeth Louise Malamalamaokalani Logue is still alive and well. After appearing in the movie, Hawaii, becoming one of the original poster girls for the 1960s Hawaiian Visitor’s Bureau, then appearing in the opening credits of Hawaii Five-0 (By the way, the hula dancer in those opening credits was Helen Kuoha-Torco, who went on to become professor of business technology at Windward Community College on Oahu, and still has her SAG card.), Elizabeth “Five-0″ Logue stepped out of the limelight in the 70s and maintains a low profile.

Older Americans Month is celebrated each May to honor and recognize older Americans for the contributions they make to our families, communities and society (and youthful ambitions). This year’s theme, “Never Too Old to Play,” encourages older Americans to stay engaged, active and involved in their own lives and in their communities. Sometimes, however, they need a little help becoming engaged and nothing helps like getting their “story” told. With a little help from the Internet, I was able to track down information on an obscure but fairly influential actress/model of the 60s that had a big impact, at least in the imaginations of younger people at the time. I have discovered only part of her story. I’m sure she is still exquisite and that there is there is more to her story.

Closer to home, there are many stories. Reading this you may not be or consider yourself an “older American,” but I’m sure you know elders who have really interesting stories, if only someone will stop and ask them about it. Take a memo (May 21 is National Memo Day): Mother’s Day on the 13th would be an ideal day to find out the “back story” on a parent, family member or friend. Who knows? This may inspire some younger person to discover your story, too.

And remember: “Hooray, hooray for the Eighth of May….” (WSU students and alums will know how to finish this verse.)

Patrick Coolen is an independent consultant in South Sound on issues of importance to seniors and their families and can be reached at: PatrickCoolen7@gmail.com

WSP Communication specialists meet the public, including visitors from Beijing China at a display in the Capitol Building recognizing their contribution as first responders; left to right: Dolores Blas-Cazares, Kim Wilson and Carrie Gordon. Photo by WSP Staff

If you’ve ever been the victim of a crime, been in a collision, reported a fire or needed emergency medical help, you’ve called 9-1-1 and been helped by a telecommunicator. At the Washington State Patrol they are known officially as Communications Officers. Other agencies use the more formal term of Telecommunicator, or similar titles. The common term is “dispatcher:” the person who answers the phone or radio and sends help where it’s needed.

“Dispatchers are usually the first people to know when something really bad has happened,” said State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste.“We count on them to get our emergency response off on the right foot, and they invariably come through with flying colors.” Batiste knows the job. As a young State Patrol Cadet, he was assigned to WSP’s Communications Division. He says not only are dispatchers a lifeline for the public, but for emergency responders as well.

After the recent murder of State Trooper Tony Radulescu, State Patrol Communications Officers were the first ones to send help. They quickly realized Trooper Radulescu was not answering his radio and sent other officers to check his welfare. The troopers on the road and emergency responders in general recognize the radio as their “lifeline” during a crisis.