Bullying at work is disgusting, but if nothing is done to stop it, the widespread use of remote and hybrid work could make the issue worse.
But how can executives make sure that their anti-harassment guidelines are up to date with the times?
Always, always, always communicate
Something major occurs when executives have open lines of contact with every staff. Workers start to feel the need to be loyal to their business when workplace messaging becomes more open and honest.
This can be accomplished by having an open-door policy that enables staff members to approach their supervisors with any possible issues without fear of retaliation. Or give employees a way to submit any difficulties they are having at work anonymously, so as to avoid drawing attention to them.
Self-awareness is essential
This data suggests a dire need for self-reflection because the poll reveals that leaders are the biggest bullies.
There are many different types of management, but remote and hybrid management are in a class by themselves. This implies that prior to the pandemic, leadership methods were less effective than they are now.
Consider this:
When working face-to-face, moving a meeting back 30 minutes might not be thought of as a huge concern since everyone is present in the office.
But it can be the difference in a remote working mom’s career advancement if she has to rush to pick up her child from school and is unable to use Zoom.
This is because proximity bias may force leaders to act in an exclusive manner toward individuals who were able to attend the meeting because they are more likely to be seen by their superiors and may be perceived as being “harder workers.”
Leaders are more likely to effectively manage their employees if they address their own internal bias and let their expectations of the workplace change.
Use criticism to implement policy changes
Including a feedback, mechanism is arguably the most crucial element required to stop remote bullying.
Decision-makers have direct access to information about potential improvements to culture by allowing employees at all levels to offer comments about how they think the workplace may be updated.
For instance, other higher-ups may be able to adopt strategic policies to stop this type of harassment from occurring in the future if there is a pattern of complaints against a leader that are coming from a variety of employees.
Not only does considering feedback while making policy-related decisions foster empathy and listening, but it is also more likely to result in long-term employee retention.
